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The east St. Louis Creek debris basin: serving a variety of research questions

Date

2005

Authors

Bunte, Kristin, author
Abt, Steven R., author
Colorado State University, publisher

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Abstract

Working at the Fraser Experimental Forest for more than 20 years, Chuck Troendle used the data of continuous streamflow and annual sediment load collected at the weir ponds/debris basins to analyze the effect of logging on runoff and sediment yield. He also predicted the annual sediment loads accumulated in the basins from hydrological data. Chuck then turned to using weir ponds/debris basins as a calibration tool to evaluate the sampling efficiency of bedload sampling devices. With this, he initiated several successor studies. Some evaluated if different placement of Helley-Smith samplers affected their catch and if different types of Helley-Smith samplers collected different amounts. Another study accessed if transport rates, collected in hanging baskets match those predicted from a transport equation, while two others analyzed the sampling efficiency of bedload traps. These tow studies indicated that substantial refinements in the estimates of the debris basin gravel mass and the computation of annual load from the bedload traps was needed before their sampling efficiency could be assessed which then ranged from 01.8 to 1.2. Improvements in the remaining uncertainty require that bedload be sampled or monitored continuously over the entire highflow season. The East St. Louis Creek debris basin has not only answered many of Chuck's research questions, it has also been very useful to the research of others and has the potential to become a nationally recognized research site.

Description

2005 annual AGU hydrology days was held at Colorado State University on March 7 - March 9, 2005.
Includes bibliographical references.

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