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10 <br />For the Green, the geometric response to water and sediment variability was <br />estimated by Andrews [3] in his prediction of equilibrium channel width. <br />Figure 2 illustrates his equilibrium width of 524 feet for the upper study <br />reach and 450 feet for the lower study reach in comparison to the trends <br />reported by Pucherelli ([4] and [5]). These widths were computed from <br />hydraulic geometry relationships developed by Leopold and Maddock [10] <br />relating width and bankfull discharge. Andrews [11] demonstrated a marked <br />similarity between bankfull discharge and effective discharge for several <br />streams in the Yampa River Basin and he extrapolated this finding to the Green <br />for development of the equilibrium channel widths reported in [3]• His com- <br />puted effective flow of 11,500 ft3/s should apply to the portion of the upper <br />study reach upstream of the Duchesne. <br />The average channel width reported by Pucherelli [4] for this portion of the <br />upper study reach for 1974 is 665 feet; 27 percent greater than Andrews' pre- <br />dicted equilibrium width based on 11,500 ft /s. The channel width in 1974 <br />appears to be a new equilibrium as a subsequent measurement in 1978 yielded an <br />estimate that was only slightly larger than that of 1974. The flow-duration <br />curve for the 1974-1978 period is similar to the flow-duration curve for <br />1964-1974. If channel width had not reached a new equilibrium in 1974, <br />narrowing should have continued to occur and be evident on the 1978 pho- <br />tography. <br />In the regime relationships proposed by Leopold and Maddock and used by <br />Andrews to compute the equilibrium channel width; <br />w=aQeb <br />where: <br />w = width <br />Qe = effective flow <br />a,b = numerical coefficient and exponent <br />the adjustments in such factors as channel slope, bed-material composition, <br />and suspended sediment concentration to changes in hydrology and sediment <br />supply are reflected in the numerical coefficient and exponent, a and b. <br />These regime relationships provide a simplified quantification of channel <br />characteristics for channels known to be in quasi -equilibrium. Andrews used <br />this width-discharge relationship to suggest that channel response of the <br />Green to Flaming Gorge may not be complete at the present time and that a cen- <br />tury or more may be required before a new equilibrium, in terms of channel <br />width, is established. Andrews assumed that the coefficient a and exponent b <br />in the equation remained constant for different periods of quasi-equilibrium <br />for the gauged locations. Using Andrews' estimates of effective flow for the <br />Jensen and Green River gauges and the measurements of average channel width <br />reported by Andrews [3] and Pucherelli [4] and [5], the following estimates of <br />the coefficient a were derived when b is held constant at 0.5: