Sediment yields of streams in the Umpqua River Basin, Oregon

Curtiss, D.A.

doi:10.3133/70174075

Cited by 9 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Although we could not completely reproduce Curtiss' results because not all the historical data were available, we did estimate mean annual suspended-sediment yields using the Fluxmaster program (no detrending) for the 1961-73 period at two stations (1431000, Cow Creek near Riddle, and 14312000, South Umpqua River near Canyonville; Fluxmaster was not able to estimate the mean annual load for the entire 1956-73 period for unknown reasons, but was able to estimate the load for the 1961-73 period). Our estimates were 83 percent and 79 percent of those estimated by Curtiss for Cow Creek and the South Umpqua River, respectively, using the same suspended-sediment measurements and streamflow available to Curtiss (1975). These estimates were slightly lower than what Curtiss originally calculated using a different approach to estimate annual loads, but still much higher than the detrended, more-recent values determined in this study.…”

Section: Relation To Historical Conditionscontrasting

confidence: 46%

“…Such loads and yields may not be representative, however, of previous or long-term, suspended-sediment transport or landscape erosion rates. For example, the measured mean annual TSS yields at the five calibration stations within the Umpqua River Basin were only 2.9-11 percent of the measured mean annual suspended sediment yields for the same stations during 1956-1973(Curtiss, 1975, indicating a remarkable decline in suspended-sediment loads (table 7). Although we could not completely reproduce Curtiss' results because not all the historical data were available, we did estimate mean annual suspended-sediment yields using the Fluxmaster program (no detrending) for the 1961-73 period at two stations (1431000, Cow Creek near Riddle, and 14312000, South Umpqua River near Canyonville; Fluxmaster was not able to estimate the mean annual load for the entire 1956-73 period for unknown reasons, but was able to estimate the load for the 1961-73 period).…”

Section: Relation To Historical Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Relation To Historical Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The 1964 flood (during the period of the Curtiss [1975] measurements) produced exceptional sediment loads during the flood as well as causing many landslides and debris flows that continued to deliver sediment to regional rivers (Wallick and others, 2011). The Curtiss (1975) period of measurements was during extensive timber harvest in the region. A study of three small watersheds within the Alsea River basin in the Oregon Coast Range during the 1960s showed that increases in suspended-sediment yields were associated with forest road building, clear-cut logging, and slash burning (Brown and Krygier, 1971).…”

Section: Relation To Historical Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[Annual suspended-sediment yield: Water years 1956-73 from Curtiss (1975). Water years 1961-73 based on the same suspended sediment and streamflow data available to Curtiss (1975) (table 6).…”

Section: Relation To Historical Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A spatially explicit suspended-sediment load model for western Oregon

Wise¹,

O’Connor²

2016

Scientific Investigations Report

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For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment-visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS.For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://store.usgs.gov.Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. DatumHorizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83). A Spatially Explicit Suspended-Sediment Load Model for Western OregonBy Daniel R. Wise and Jim E. O'Connor AbstractWe calibrated the watershed model SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed attributes) to give estimates of suspended-sediment loads for western Oregon and parts of northwestern California. Estimates of suspended-sediment loads were derived from a nonlinear least squares regression that related explanatory variables representing landscape and transport conditions to measured suspended-sediment loads at 68 measurement stations. The model gives estimates of model coefficients and their uncertainty within a spatial framework defined by the National Hydrography Dataset Plus hydrologic network. The resulting model explained 64 percent of the variability in suspendedsediment yield and had a root mean squared error value of 0.737. The predictor variables selected for the final model were (1) generalized lithologic province, (2) mean annual precipitation, and (3) burned area (by recent wildfire). Other landscape characteristics also were considered, but they were not significant predictors of sediment transport, were strongly correlated with another predictor variable, or were not as significant as the predictors selected for the final model.The northern Oregon coastal drainages had the highest predicted suspended sediment yields (median yield 475 kilograms per hectare per year) and the Klamath River Basin had the lowest (median yield 53 kilograms per hectare per year). Quaternary deposits were, on average, the largest contributor to incremental suspended-sediment yield even though this lithologic province only makes up 17 percent of the modeling domain. Coast Range sedimentary rocks and Coast Range volcanic rocks had high suspended-sediment yields whereas, in addition to the Klamath terrane, the Western Cascade and High Cascade lithologic provinces had low suspended-sediment yields. Precipitation and the area affected by recent wildfire both positively correlated with suspendedsediment load.Suspended-sediment transport rates predicted by this SPARROW model are less than historical and long-term (thousands of years) geological rates. This difference likely results, in part, from biases in the data underlying the SPARROW model, probabl...

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Section: Relation To Historical Conditionscontrasting

confidence: 46%

Section: Relation To Historical Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%