Seasonal influences on the sediment transport characteristics of the Sacramento River, California

Field measurements of suspended sediment transport and streamflow have been collected by the United States Geological Survey on the Sacramento River. The period from 1953 to 1976 of this remarkably complete data set is examined herein. It is shown that the quantity of sediment transported by a given discharge can vary by nearly two orders of magnitude and that the first major flows following the dry season tend to transport more sediment than comparable discharges at other times in the year. Simple statistical tests are used to show that the peaks in suspended sediment load tend to lead peaks in streamflow at this site. The ramifications of these observations in assigning suitable boundary conditions in mathematical models are discussed.