Statistical distribution of streambed vertical hydraulic conductivity along the Platte

Streambed vertical hydraulic conductivity (Kv) plays an important role in understand-ing and quantifying the stream–aquifer interactions. While several researchers have dis-cussed the spatial variability of streambed horizontal hydraulic conductivity or Kv at one or several close-located sites in a river, they did not develop any statistical distribution analysis of streambed Kv at distant sites along a large river. In this paper, the statistical distribution and spatial variation of streambed Kv at 18 test sites in a 300-km reach of the Platte River in Nebraska are presented. Insitu permeameter tests using the falling-head method were carried out to calculate the streambed Kv values. Fine-grained sediment