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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Tucson, Arizona » SWRC » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #106543
Title: CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY INVESTIGATIONS USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND FIELD RESEARCH 1282

Author
item MILLER, S. - UNIV. OF ARIZONA
item YOUBERG, A. - CITY OF TUCSON
item GUERTIN, D. - UNIV. OF ARIZONA
item Goodrich, David - Dave

Submitted to: Conference on Land Stewardship in The 21st Century
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/6/1999
Publication Date: 3/13/2000
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Stream channels play a vital role in watershed function. Many species of fish, plants, and animals use stream channels for habitat and migration. The management of the areas above stream channels changes their sizes and shapes. This paper used new computer techniques in combination with abundant field surveys to determine the relationships between stream channel size and shape and watershed characteristics. These relationships will be useful for land managers and scientists studying runoff and erosion.

Technical Abstract: Stream channels are integral to watershed function and are affected by watershed management decisions. Given an understanding of the relationships among channel and watershed variables, they may serve as indicators of upland condition or used in distributed rainfall-runoff models. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of fluvial morphology as related to watershed characteristics for two disparate sites in Arizona. Detailed geographic information system (GIS) analyses were combined with 297 cross- section surveys. Statistical relationships among GIS-based watershed and field-based channel variables are presented and explanations for discrepancies between sites are given.