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Conor Sullivan

November 22, 2010

Published by: CP Productions

Published for: Epstein Empire

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gable of Contents

Introduction Pg 3

Environmental Setting Pg 3

Methods Pg 4, 5

Results Pg 6

Discussion Question Pg 7

Conclusion Pg 8

Appendix Pg 9
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Introduction

By the way of using Rosgen Stream Analysis the purpose of this laboratory assignment

was to indentify the impact of the Stockton College¶s parking lot runoff on the drainage ditch.

gwo different things that were looked at throughout this assignment was the amount of

increasing discharge during the rain and the sedimentation transport. Many different parameters

were studied to see how surface runoff impacted them. ghese parameters included; substrate,

bank full width, bank full depth, flood prone width, width/depth ratio, entrenchment ratio, and

slope. ghe three different processes that were used to record this data were, visual, quantitative,

and figuring out way that is so.

Environmental Setting

ghe area surrounding the stream being studied is a wetland with hummocky topography.

ghe stream being studied in this laboratory assignment is a single channel with at first gravelly-

sand bottom material followed by a mucky bottom material. ghere is a ridge following the

stream, which is spoil piles from the drainage ditch which are created by human interference (the

parking lots and the runoff they create).

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Methods

For this laboratory assignment two parts of a stream were looked at and data was

recorded. Both of the sites were looked at in the same way, through the use of the instruments of

a measuring tape, a death reading stick, and a transit. But, before the use of these instruments one

thing has to be determined, and that is how many channels are involved. ghis is very easy to

figure out by just using your eye. Both of the sites looked at in this laboratory assignment were

single channel streams.

ghe next thing recorded was the bank full width; this is determined by use of the

measuring tape. By measuring from one side of the stream to the other tells gives you bank full

width. After that the next thing looked at is bank full depth, this is recorded using both the

measuring tape and the depth stick. While the measuring tape is lying across the two banks of the

stream use the depth stick to record how deep the stream is at each foot. Depending on the width

of the stream, depends on the amount of depth readings you will get. Finding the average bank

full depth is then just an easy calculation, by adding all the depths recording and then dividing by

the amount of measurements made. ghe maximum bank full depth is easy to find as well, it is

just the largest depth at one point of the stream.

Flood prone width is the next measurement made. At the same point where you are taking

the previous readings you take the measuring tape and measure away from the stream and

continue walking until you hit an incline or change in topography. You do this for both sides of

the stream to figure out how wide this area is.

Another characteristic of the stream that was recorded was the type of bottom sediment.

ghere is no real scientific tool that is used to figure this out. One way, and the way that was used
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in this lab, was just by reaching down to the bottom on the stream and pulling up a handful of the

sediment on the bottom. From these measurements it is then easy to calculate things like width to

depth ratio, entrenchment ratio, and figure out what is the Rosgen stream type.

ghe next set of measurements taken from both sections of the stream where the true

length, straight length, and the elevation. grue stream length is measured by use of the tape

measure and it follows all the curves and bends in the stream. ghe straight length is measured

using the tape again, but this time just measures straight from the starting point to the ending

point without following the bends and dips. ghe elevation is then measured both upstream and

downstream using the transit. From these measurements sinuosity and slope are able to be

calculated.
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Results

Location
Site 1: Site 2:
Criterion for bank full stage: Below the confluence Higher the confluence
Number of Channels: Single Single
Bank full width: 13.4 ft 12.5 ft

Bank full depth:

1 .3in 2ft
2 9in 1.5in
3 10.5in 6.5in
4 9in 11in
5 6in 1ft
6 8in 1.1ft
7 4.5in
8
9
10
11

Average Bank full depth: .6ft 1.25ft

Max. Bank full depth: .85ft 2ft

Flood prone width: 65ft 300+ft

Bottom Sediment: Gravelly sand Peat(muck)

Width to Depth Ratio: 22.3 10

Entrenchment ration: 4.85 24

Rosgen Stream gype: E7 C4b

grue Stream Length: 67¶ 79¶

Straight Stream Length: 63¶ 78.5¶
Upstream Elevation 7.03¶ 7.6¶
Downstream Elevation 6.78¶ 7.03¶

Sinuosity: 1.06 1.01

Slope: .0037 .0072

Discussion Question
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ghe main cause of the different stream types between these two sites is surface runoff

from the parking lots. Site one is downstream and site two is downstream. When looking at why

there is such a big difference between the two is because you have to look at the way the runoff

runs into the stream, the stream that feeds into the stream being assessed feeds in below the

upstream site. ghe downstream site has a smaller width and much different bottom sediment than

upstream. ghis is because of deposition, the way the tributary that is runoff from the parking lot

enters the stream all the sediment its carrying gets dumped right at this downstream area, while

the upstream site stays unaffected by the surface runoff. ghe sediment transfer is much greater at

the downstream site which is why you find the gravelly sand, it was just recently deposited and

hasn¶t had time to erode like that of the upstream sediment. ghe bank full with of the two stream

sites are different in number (13.4 feet versus 12.5 feet) because of the turn the runoff has to

make as it enters the stream. As the runoff enters the stream it has to go around a turn, which

decreases velocity and causes more deposition of sediment. Another major factor that decides the

Rosgen stream type is the width to depth ratio. ghe width to depth ratio is much great upstream

because of the greater velocity. ghe greater velocity increases the erosion making site one a

much deeper channel and the second site a much wider channel. gwo other factors that help

decide the stream type are sinuosity and elevation, depending on the numbers that were gathered

for these two sites tells you what category of stream these two sites could fall in to. gwo factors

that don¶t affect this site include the entrenchment ratio and flood prone width. Neither of these

really affects the stream type because they have to do with the original topography of the land.
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Conclusion

For this lab report to sites on a stream were measured and calculated to figure out the

Rosgen Stream gype. And after all the data was collected it is easy to see that Site 1

(downstream) is E7 and Site 2 (upstream) is C4b. ghis is easy to determine once all of the

measurements were taken, and calculations were made. Many things affect the stream type in

this analysis and they include, bed material, entrenchment ratio, width to depth ratio, sinuosity,

and slope of the stream. And by looking at these two sites it is easy to understand that the

downstream site was very much affected by the runoff, and the upstream site was not.
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Appendix

å

 
Bank full width/Average depth = W/D Ration
i.e. 13.4¶/.6¶ = 22.3

   
 
Flood Prone Width/Bank Full Width = Entrenchment Ratio
i.e. 65¶/13.4¶ = 4.85

  :
grue Length/Straight Length = Sinuosity
i.e. 67¶/63¶ = 1.06
:
ǻ Elevation/grue Length = Slope
i.e. (.57¶)/67¶ = 0.0037