Readjustment of the channel gradient of Dry Creek in Licking County, Ohio

Sand and gravel reserves in formerly glaciated regions of the northern United States are great. The practice of mining these resources from buried channels of glacial meltwater streams, oxbows or meander cutoffs has been quite profitable. Environmental effects of these mining operations are minimal in comparison with the effects produced through the excavation of other resources throughout the country. Although more wasteful, mining methods of dredging flowing stream channels, settlement pits within channels and rechannelization of streams may likely produce extensive erosional damage to the local drainage basin over a period of years. The effects of erosion stemming from these mining procedures are absorbed by an array of individuals. Property values decline which may effect not only the individual but also the neighborhood or town, bridges may become unstable due to changes in channel width or depth, and even roads and power lines may have to be relocated at the expense of taxpayers and consumers. This report is a somewhat subjective investigation concerning the ongoing erosive damage to the channel of Dry Creek in Licking County, Ohio, resulting from the aforementioned mining procedures. Because of the expense and the length of time needed, a more quantitative and comprehensive experimental study was not undertaken. The results of this report will come through a small number of actual measurements but more importantly through the collaborative results of former investigations which may be related to the problem at hand. In particular this report will relate the values of stream competence at maximum discharge with the effects of natural channel armouring, bank erosion and changes in channel geometry. These changes are the result of human stress applied to the equilibrium basis of the graded stream system.No embarg