THE EFFECT OF WATER TEMPERATURE ON IN-STREAM SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION AND TRANSPORT RATE

Global climate change may result in rising temperatures. As a result, ecological health and the human use of rivers may be impacted. The hydrologic cycle, watershed hydrology, and in-stream hydraulics are dynamic systems, influenced by human activities, natural events, and climate. Although known drivers like precipitation and stream velocity govern sediment processes, the effect of water temperature on sediment transport remains unclear. In-stream sediment movement could lead to blocked harbors, flooding, and degradation of vulnerable fish habitat. To better understand how fluctuations in water temperature affect sediment dynamics, six transport models were analyzed on the Niobrara River, with water temperatures ranging 1◦ to 40◦ C. The results indicate that as water warms sediment transport decreases, according to an inverse, non-linear law, with the highest reduction at colder water temperatures. The results given here can help predict changes in sediment transport for rivers with similar characteristics at various water temperatures. Jennie L. Tyrrell Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Michigan Technological University Houghton, Michigan Fall 201