(2009) UWRB - Geomorphic Channel Assessment

Project Scope

The Upper White River Basin Foundation (UWRBF) implemented a water quality monitoring program in the Upper White River Basin in 2008. The goal of this program was to provide a long-term/consistent source of water quality and stream health information on the major rivers and tributaries draining into the upper portion of the White River, including Beaver Lake, AR, Table Rock Lake, MO, and Bull Shoals Lake, MO/AR. Annual reports will be published by UWRBF on the status and trend of key water quality indicators throughout the watershed, including geology and land use/cover, water quality (chemistry, bacteria, and nutrients), geomorphic or physical channel stability, and aquatic invertebrate communities. The information will be disseminated to the public through a qualitative “A-to-F” rating scale that grades the condition of individual stream segments.

The Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute at Missouri State University was responsible for protocol development, data collection, and trend analysis to support the geomorphology and watershed source monitoring components of the basin-wide stream monitoring program in the Upper White River Basin in Missouri and Arkansas.

The purpose of this report is to familiarize the reader with geomorphological assessments and describe the results of the first year of monitoring.

Objectives

  1. Provide background information and rationale for geomorphological monitoring,
  2. Document the rationale, methods, and analysis used in the Geomorphological River Assessment Protocol (GeoRAP),
  3. Develop a GIS database with the watershed characteristics for all monitoring sites, and
  4. Present the results and trends for Year 1 monitoring for the following:
    1. Rapid channel assessments
    2. Geomorphology-based channel monitoring
    3. Fine-grained sediment monitoring (results reported in future report)

Partners

Documents