A method for estimating sediment-transport rates in ice-covered channels

A method for estimating rates of sediment transport in ice-covered alluvial channels is proposed herein. The method is adaptable to existing methods for estimating rates of sediment transport in openwater-flow conditions. It is based on, and verified (to the extent possible) using, laboratory flume data from various sources. A key aspect of the method entails determining an effective value of the portion of boundary shear velocity attributable to bed-surface drag. That value of shear velocity can be used to determine rate of bed-load transport and suspended-load transport. Estimation of ice-covered suspended load entails an approximation whereby openwater suspended load is scaled in proportion to the ratio of a reference sediment concentration for ice-covered relative to that for openwater flow. The reference concentrations can be calculated in terms of bed-load rates and shear velocity attributed to bed-surface drag.