Estimating catchment‐scale sediment storage in a large River Basin, Colorado River, USA
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Authors
Kemper, John T.
Knox, Richard L.
Raffae, Muhammad
Schulz, Evan
Bailey, Ryan
Morrison, Ryan R.
Wohl, Ellen E.
Issue Date
2024-05-05
Type
journal-article
Language
Keywords
alluvial volume , Floodplain , GFPLAIN , groundwater , SWAT+
Alternative Title
Abstract
Catchment-scale sediment storage is conceptualized as increasing in magnitude downstream, although reach-scale controls may override this trend. We use empirical data from a literature review and two numerical models to quantitatively estimate sediment storage across the Colorado River Basin, USA. We use assumed alluvial thickness with floodplains delineated in the GFPLAIN model from 30 m digital elevation models. We use the SWAT+ model based on model-estimated (i) groundwater storage and (ii) sediment storage. Existing studies indicate that sediment stored in floodplains and on low terraces is ~0.3–6 m thick. A first-order approximation of volumetric storage capacity for natural floodplains is ~105 m3 per km. Sediment storage volumes of floodplains are ~108–1011 m3 over river lengths of 101–103 m. For the modeling estimates, we evaluated sediment storage by stream order and by elevation band within the Upper and Lower Colorado River Basins. Comparisons among the outputs cause us to place more confidence in the GFPLAIN and SWAT+ aquifer volume estimates. Each method includes substantial uncertainty and constitutes a first-order approximation. Results suggest using 21 and 130 billion cubic meters as approximate lower and upper bounds for total sediment storage in the Upper Basin and 314 and 482 billion cubic meters as approximate lower and upper bounds for the Lower Basin. The largest proportion of sediment is stored in the montane and steppe zones in the Upper Basin and in the Sonoran zone in the Lower Basin.
Description
Citation
Kemper, John T., Richard Knox, Muhammad Raffae, Evan Schulz, Ryan Bailey, Ryan R. Morrison, and Ellen Wohl. "Estimating catchment‐scale sediment storage in a large River Basin, Colorado River, USA." River Research and Applications 40, no. 7 (2024): 1379-1392.
Publisher
Wiley
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
1535-1459
1535-1467
1535-1467