An analytical model for stream sediment transport: application to Murray and Murrumbidgee river reaches, Australia

The mechanisms controlling the flow of sediment in streams can be very complex and difficult to model with accuracy. Furthermore, data associated with the dominant sediment transport processes are often scarce. In this paper, we propose a model for the transport of suspended sediment in single stream reaches that permits a characterization of the dynamics of sediment sources and sinks, and routes concentrations through a stream network. We present a closed form, physically based, one-dimensional model that incorporates sediment advection, deposition, resuspension and lateral sources along a river reach. Data requirements for the model are modest, with parsimonious model structure involving only a few parameters. Thus, the model is relatively easy to calibrate and implement. An application of the model is illustrated using turbidity and flow data from two single reaches of the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers in south-eastern Australia. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.