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<br />e <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />CHAPTER 2 <br /> <br />River Mechanics and <br />Geomorphology <br /> <br />2.1 Introductlon- <br /> <br />Engineers rely upon their knowledge of the fundamental principles of physics as they <br />relate 10 lIuvial systems 10 help them assess situations such as strearnbank erosion. The <br />success or failure of a given project is often detennined by the accuracy of this <br />assessment. <br /> <br />This chapter provides basic information about hydrology, river mOlllhology. and lIuvial <br />processes. Understanding these processes provides a foundation upon which the <br />assessment of erosion can be based. This chapter discusses only a few of the physical <br />concepts in delail. II is not intended 10 be a dissertation on all the associated theory. <br />Several references are cited which provide more expanded discussion. <br /> <br />2.2 River Morphology - <br /> <br />Webster's Dictionary defines "morphology" as the structure and fonn of an OI11anism. <br />For this discussion the organism in question is a river. with all of its appurtenances (bed, <br />banks, valley, water, ele.). A river's morphological character, physical processes and <br />temporal condition must be understood in order 10 diagnose and correct channel <br />problems such as bank erosion. <br /> <br />Brian Winkley (1986) summarized the dynamism of river morphology with the <br />following slalements: "Rivers, like people, display a wide range of characteristics. <br />Rivers are all basically the same and obey the same 'Laws of Physics' but the wide <br />assortment of physical parameters affecting them produces a multitude of variations; <br />there are probably no two exactly alike in the whole world...Any river, at a particular <br />time, is a result of all conditions that have been imposed upon it. At no lime or place is <br /> <br />Colorado Erosion Control Manual <br /> <br />3 <br />