Reduced channel morphological response to urbanization in a flood‐dominated humid tropical environment

Abstract

Urbanization through the addition of impervious cover can alter catchment hydrology, often resulting in increased peak flows during floods. This phenomenon and the resulting impact on stream channel morphology is well documented in temperate climatic regions, but not well documented in the humid tropics where urbanization is rapidly occurring. This study investigates the long‐term effects of urbanization on channel morphology in the humid sub‐tropical region of Puerto Rico, an area characterized by frequent high‐magnitude flows, and steep coarse‐grained rivers. Grain size, low‐flow channel roughness, and the hydraulic geometry of streams across a land‐use gradient that ranges from pristine forest to high density urbanized catchments are compared. In areas that have been urbanized for several decades changes in channel features were measurable, but were smaller than those reported for comparable temperate streams. Decades of development has resulted in increased fine sediment and anthropogenic debris in urbanized catchments. Materials of anthropogenic origin comprise an average of 6% of the bed material in streams with catchments with 15% or greater impervious cover. At‐a‐station hydraulic geometry shows that velocity makes up a larger component of discharge for rural channels, while depth contributes a larger component of discharge in urban catchments. The average bank‐full cross‐sectional area of urbanized reaches was 1.5 times larger than comparable forested reaches, and less than the world average increase of 2.5. On average, stream width at bank‐full height did not change with urbanization while the world average increase is 1.5 times. Overall, this study indicates that the morphologic changes that occur in response to urban runoff are less in channels that are already subject to frequent large magnitude storms. Furthermore, this study suggests that developing regions in the humid tropics shouldn't rely on temperate analogues to determine the magnitude of impact of urbanization on stream morphology. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Bankfull Transport Capacity and the Threshold of Motion in Coarse‐Grained Rivers

“…The null model provides a closure for studies in gravel-bed rivers where τ *c needs to be estimated. For example, predicting spatial patterns of grain size and morphology for in stream management and habitat suitability (Phillips & Scatena, 2013;Snyder et al, 2013) and management of river corridors below major river modifications (Minear, 2010;Schmidt & Wilcock, 2008). For field sites where the identification of the bankfull depth is difficult to assess we recommend checking the data against the compilation dataset parameter space (Figure 3) for a variety of flow depths to assess a likely range.…”

Legacy effects on sediments in river corridors

“…Once urbanization was complete, however, the much greater extent of paved, stabilized, impervious area substantially increased water yields but reduced sediment yields. Numerous subsequent studies in diverse regions have shown essentially the same trends in sediment yield through time following urbanization (Roberts, 1989;Trimble, 1997;Bledsoe and Watson, 2001;Chin, 2006;Phillips and Scatena, 2013).…”

Enlargement and evolution of a semi‐alluvial creek in response to urbanization

“…If floodplain connectedness can be maintained, incision may be avoided, thereby averting the initiation of the cycle entirely (Hardison et al, 2009;Annable et al, 2012). Environmental variables such the climate (Phillips and Scatena, 2013), stormwater management (Booth and Jackson, 1997;Hawley and Bledsoe, 2013), channel gradient (Hardison et al, 2009), sediment loads (Wolman and Schick, 1967), wood loads (Segura and Booth, 2010), and infrastructure constraints (Chin and Gregory, 2005) have been found to alter the specific degree of adjustment. Environmental variables such the climate (Phillips and Scatena, 2013), stormwater management (Booth and Jackson, 1997;Hawley and Bledsoe, 2013), channel gradient (Hardison et al, 2009), sediment loads (Wolman and Schick, 1967), wood loads (Segura and Booth, 2010), and infrastructure constraints (Chin and Gregory, 2005) have been found to alter the specific degree of adjustment.…”

“…The extent of imperviousness and the degree to which watershed drainage is accelerated appear to be critical factors (Hammer, 1972). Environmental variables such the climate (Phillips and Scatena, 2013), stormwater management (Booth and Jackson, 1997;Hawley and Bledsoe, 2013), channel gradient (Hardison et al, 2009), sediment loads (Wolman and Schick, 1967), wood loads (Segura and Booth, 2010), and infrastructure constraints (Chin and Gregory, 2005) have been found to alter the specific degree of adjustment. It is therefore important to establish regional models of channel evolution Booth and Fischenich, 2015) and to examine the spatial variability in channel adjustments (Gregory et al, 1992;Gregory and Chin, 2002).…”