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<br />to 65 percent. A flow-duration curve expresses the probability that a given <br />daily discharge will be equaled or exceeded over a period of years. Shape of <br />the flow-duration curve is dependent on the frequency distribution of daily <br />discharges. Rivers with equal volumes of annual streamflow, but different <br />di stributions of daily di scharges, wi 11 have different flow-duration curves. <br />Each flow-duration curve in figure 9 represents only one of numerous possible <br />discharge distributions for a given annual streamflow. <br /> <br />Annual total sediment loads transported in scenarios of reduced stream- <br />flow (fig. 9) were computed by the flow-duration, sediment-transport-equation <br />method described previously.' These annual sediment loads are presented in the <br />rows of table 6. The columns represent assumed annual sediment supplies. <br />Streamflow scenario A and sediment supply scenario 1 summarize prevailing <br />conditions in the Oee,rlodge Park reach. Annual streamflow of 1.47 million <br />acre-ft/yr, with a streamflow frequency distribution represented by the <br />flow-duration curve in figure 6, transports a total sediment load of 2.0 <br />million ton/yr, of which 0.8 million ton/yr is sand-size or larger (table 5). <br />Equil ibrium conditions in the Vampa River at Oeerlodge Park indicate no <br />surplus or deficit of sediment over a period of years. Therefore, the <br />prevailing supply to Oeerlodge has been estimated to be 2.0 million ton/yr. <br /> <br />Combinations of annual streamflow and annual sediment supply in scenarios <br />AI, 82, C3, 05, E6, and G7 of table 6 result in little or no sediment surplus <br />or deficit. The river, in these scenarios, attains an equilibrium in sediment <br />supply and transport on an average annual basis, but in all scenarios except <br />AI, the occurrence of high streamflows is reduced (fig. 9). The scenarios <br />presented in this analysis assume a constant relation between sediment dis- <br />charge and water discharge; however, if large changes occur in the flow <br />regime, the sediment diSCharge-water diSCharge relation also could change. -* <br />Reductions in peak streamflow will be accompanied by changes in channel form <br />at Deerlodge Park (Mackin, 1948; and Leopold and Maddock, 1953) and riparian <br />vegetat ion tl1roughout Di nosaur Nat i ana 1 Monument (Potter and others, 1983), <br />even though the sediment budget may remain in equilibrium. <br /> <br />Other possible combinations of annual streamflow and annual sediment <br />supply are sl10wn in table 6. Annual total sediment loads were computed using <br />the flow-duration curves in figure 9. In several instances, the annual <br />surplus or deficit of sediment in Deerlodge Park is significantly greater than <br />zero. Under these scenarios, problems with channel aggradation or degradation <br />are more severe and occur over a short period of time. Annual sediment <br />transport exceeds annual sediment supply in the scenarios in the upper right <br />part of table 6. Varying degrees of sediment budget deficits result from <br />these scenarios. Sediment budget surpluses result from supply-transport <br />scenarios shown in the lower left part of table 6. As an example, scenarip <br />B-1 represents a situation that could exist if the prevailing annual sediment <br />supp ly and annual streamflow were unchanged, but the durati on of Yamlla River <br />flows was altered to the degree that has occurred at the Jensen gage located <br />leG mi dC\v'nstrea:n fr~0m FL1ming Gorge Reservoir on the Green River (fig. 8). <br />Annual sediment supply remains 2.0 million ton/yr, but annual sediment trans- <br />port has been reduced to 1.9 million ton/yr, resulting in a D.l million tcn/yr <br />surplus of sediment at Deerlodge Park. <br /> <br />28 <br />