Stream Power Index for Networks (SPIN) Tool for Erosion Risk Assessment
Abstract
Streams in urbanizing watersheds are showing symptoms of degradation due to a change in their hydrology when they receive larger and frequent flows from impervious areas and drainage systems. As a result, they are unable to balance their sediment transport and flow which leads to instability. Although different stream management strategies have been implemented to rehabilitate or mitigate the streams, there is still uncertainty about their outcomes. There is currently a poor understanding of the interaction between the hydrologic and sediment transport processes and a lack of tools to spatially assess the response of streams to urban developments. The objective of this research was to develop a tool (SPIN) which would allow decision makers to visually assess areas at risk of erosion by using stream power as an indicator of morphological change. A stream power index (SPI) is estimated along the stream network to assess the change in magnitude of stream power between pre- and post- development scenarios. The tool is written in Python and packaged as an ArcGIS toolbox. The method uses a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with empirical relationships of discharge and width and discharge/width information extracted from HEC-RAS models for scenario based analyses. Results are visual displays of the spatial and temporal sensitivity of streams to urbanization for decision making processes.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMEP22B..17G
- Keywords:
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- 1632 Land cover change;
- GLOBAL CHANGE;
- 1813 Eco-hydrology;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1825 Geomorphology: fluvial;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1862 Sediment transport;
- HYDROLOGY