2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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6/05/2017 | 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM | SMALL FLOW OBSTRUCTIONS IMPLICATED IN ACCELERATING WHOLE-FLOODPLAIN SIDE-CHANNEL LOSS | 302B

SMALL FLOW OBSTRUCTIONS IMPLICATED IN ACCELERATING WHOLE-FLOODPLAIN SIDE-CHANNEL LOSS

Side-channel extents influence the diversity and structure of riverine communities. Side channels are dynamic geomorphic features that persist in floodplain landscapes when gross rates of side-channel creation and loss are balanced. Although riprap and other linear structures are well-recognized impediments to side-channel creation, we hypothesized that other types of “anthropogenic plugs” (flow obstructions such as dikes or berms) built across side channels facilitate side-channel loss at a whole-river scale. We quantified longitudinal patterns of gross creation and loss of side-channel areas between the 1950s and 2001 using digitized aerial photographs along >500 km of the Yellowstone River. We then related these patterns to the longitudinal variation in the frequency of anthropogenic side-channel plugs. Consistent with our hypothesis, the frequency of anthropogenic plugs was positively correlated with gross side-channel loss, but not with gross side-channel creation. Because they are relatively inconspicuous, anthropogenic plugs may be a largely overlooked but important management concern for the evolution and maintenance of channel habitats.

C27 Landuse and Non-Point source Impacts
C06 Large River Ecology
C14 Hydroecology & C33 Remote Sensing

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Presenters/Authors

Ann Marie Reinhold (), Montana State University, Montana Institute on Ecosystems, reinhold@montana.edu;