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40000 <br />N 30000 <br /> <br />ao 20000 <br /> <br /> 10000 <br /> 0 <br />Time (days) <br />Figure 9. - Colorado River hydrograph. <br />1000 <br />800 <br />M? <br />600 <br />400 <br />200 <br />0 <br />Assuming a sediment density of 2.65 g/cm3, we calculated deposition rates of 0.79 to 0.40 kg/s <br />for periods of 6 and 12 hours respectively. These rates are higher than the range of rates (0.22 <br />to 0.05 kg(s) determined from flume experiments of recirculation zone sedimentation (Schmidt <br />et al., 1993). Because of its close proximity to the sediment source (LCR), this site may not be <br />representative of other sandbars along the river corridor during similar flood events. Deposition <br />rates calculated for the RM62.4 site can be considered an upper limit for rates throughout the <br />Grand Canyon. <br />Comparison of the April 1993 and April 1994 surveys further illustrates the pattern of post-flood <br />erosion at the site (fig. 10). In general, the greatest amounts of erosion within the eddy (-4 to <br />-11.5 m) correspond with areas of maximum current velocity, particularly in the return current <br />channel where currents sweeping across the eddy coalesce and are directed upstream. <br />Large volumes of sediment were also transported along the main river channel between the <br />surveys. Up to 10 meters of change was recorded along the left bank of the main channel. <br />We also used the survey comparison, combined with qualitative visual observations of the site <br />between measurements, to estimate approximate erosion rates at the site. About 5 to 10% of <br />the deposit we measured in April had been eroded by June 1993. We estimate that the erosion <br />rates ranged between 50 to 100 m3/day from April 1993 to June 1993 (Kaplinski et al., 1994a). <br />Dam operations changed from low volume (226 to 368 m3/s [8,000 to 13,000 ft /s]) to high- <br />volume (340 to 540 m3/s [12,000 to 19,000 WAD interim flows on July 1, 1993. Following this <br />change in dam operations, the portion of the bar above the 227-m3/s (8,000-ft3/s) stage elevation <br />had completely eroded within a 2-to 3-week period. We estimated that erosion rates during July <br />1993 ranged from 2,000 to 2,500 m3/day. The change from low-volume to high-volume interim <br />flow dam operations may have triggered an order of magnitude increase in erosion rates. <br />16 <br />I0-l? 12?? I??3 ?'?3 31.V