HR: 0800h
AN: H51E-0787    [Abstracts]
TI: Methods for Identifying Ravines and Quantifying Their Contribution to Sediment Loads in the Minnesota River Basin
AU: * Mulla, D J
EM: mulla003@umn.edu
AF: Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota, Borlaugh Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
AU: Nelson, J F
EM: nels1945@umn.edu
AF: Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota, Borlaugh Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
AU: Nieber, J L
EM: nieber@umn.edu
AF: Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Bldg., 1390 Eckles Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
AU: Wilson, B N
EM: wilson@umn.edu
AF: Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Bldg., 1390 Eckles Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
AU: Hansen, B J
EM: hanse0038@umn.edu
AF: Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Bldg., 1390 Eckles Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
AU: Ulrich, J S
EM: ulri0010@umn.edu
AF: Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Bldg., 1390 Eckles Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
AU: Magner, J
EM: Joseph.Magner@state.mn.us
AF: Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Bldg., 1390 Eckles Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
AU: Magner, J
EM: Joseph.Magner@state.mn.us
AF: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 520 Lafayette Rd. North, St. Paul, MN 55155, United States
AB: The Minnesota River Basin generates a disproportionately high amount of total suspended sediments to the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Many reaches in the Minnesota River Basin have impaired water quality due to turbidity. The primary sources of sediment in the Minnesota River Basin include upland erosion from agricultural land, streambluff slumping, and downcutting of ravines. No research has been conducted to date to quantify sediment contributions to the Minnesota River Basin from ravines. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and terrain analysis were conducted using 3 and 30 m resolution digital elevation models in an attempt to identify the locations and geomorphic characteristics of ravines in the Minnesota River Basin. A combination of the streampower index (SPI) and profile curvature were used to identify the location of ravines. Field verification showed that this method was highly successful. GIS was used to quantify the length, width and volume of each ravine, and these attributes were used to classify ravines according to their sediment loss potential. Field measurements of total suspended sediment and detailed repetitive topographic surveys were made in ravines at several locations to quantify sediment losses from ravines. Field measurements were combined with GIS based ravine attributes to estimate the contribution of ravines to sediment load in the Minnesota River Basin.
DE: 1804 Catchment
DE: 1815 Erosion
DE: 1819 Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
DE: 1825 Geomorphology: fluvial (1625)
DE: 1862 Sediment transport (4558)
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting