Laserfiche WebLink
<br />364 Computational Fluid Dynamics <br /> <br />vicinity of the reaches in this study. They made their calculation by determining the skin <br />friction required to match measured transport rates dUling periods in which the sand <br />supply was stable. This calculation yielded a skin friction that was 15% of the total <br />shear stresS. This low value is consistent with the e.xtremely large channel roughness <br />and associated form drag and was used in the calculations in this study in area, of the <br />reach where the sand depth is less than the bed roughne>s. <br />The procedure used in this study for determining the skin friction in portions of <br />the channel where the sand is sufliciently thick to cover the bed roughness is different <br />from the one used by Wiele el (II. (1996). Sand thickness tends to be greatest in <br />recirculation zones. which are isolated from the tumultuous !low in the main chan- <br />nel. and where the llow and sand transport more closely resemble that of alluvial <br />streams. In this region. the local channel resistance and skin friction were calculated <br />as functions of local llow. depth and sand size. This procedure used the methods <br />described by Bennett (1995) to estimate bedform dimensions and form drag. Bennett <br />drew on the work of van Rijn (1984) who used /I. to distinguish between ripples. <br />dunes and upper plane hed and to estimate the dimensions of the bedfornls. if <br />present. Given bedform height and wavelength. the local friction and skin friction <br />are determined in Bennell's algorithm using the relations of Smith and McLean <br />(1977) and I\elson and Smith (1989b). Relating local !low resistance and skin fliction <br />to bedforms is an improvement over the use of values derived only from the local <br />hydraulics, but errors may be induced by uncertainties in the relations used and in <br />the assumption of equilibrium between the local !low and the bedforms. <br />The model has been used to examine depositional processes and rates in the <br />Colorado River main stem during a llood on the Little Colorado River (Wiele el (II.. <br />1996). to examine the dfect of sand supply on depositional patterns and magnitudes, <br />and to compare the elfects of natural tributary flooding with flooding caused by <br />increased dam releases (Wiele, 1997; Wiele etal.. 1999). The model has shown good <br />agreement with cross-section measurements from before and after the LillIe Color- <br />ado River !lood in 1993 (Wide elal.. 1996) and has replicated depositional patterns <br />during Ihe 1996 test flow (Wiele elu/.. 1999). In one of the study reaches during the <br />Little Colorado River flood, high sand concentrations led to massive deposition in <br />the main channel (up to 12m) and formed a large bar along the left side of the main <br />channel in the recirculation zone. In contrast. with lower concentrations and higher <br />water discharge during the test !low, (he main channel scoured. and the focus of the <br />deposition was near the recirculation zone reattachment point. The model replicated <br />Ihese differences in depositional pattern with no calibration. The accuracy of the <br />model without calibration in these studies supports the use of the model to predict <br />results for the hypothetical cases in this study. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />14.3 Study site selection and morphology <br /> <br />Four modelling sites (Figure 14.1) were selected. which are within the study area of <br />Hereford elal. 11991. 1993). Each of these reaches also contains gullies studied b.\ <br />Thompson and Potochnik (2000). The modelling site farthest downstream. the <br />Upper Lnkar reach. contains an especially sensitive archaeological site with abun- <br />dant artefacts concentrated in a small area. <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />. <br />