Chapter 1 - Introduction To River Morphology

Hydraulic Structures II
Course Code: CEng4162
Credit Hours: 3 hrs

Prerequisite: CEng3161, Hydraulics Structure
I
Instructor: Wabi Eg.

1. River
Morphology
 River Morphology is concerned with
channel configuration , geometry

and with longitudinal profile of the
river.
 It is time dependent and varies
particularly with
– Discharge
- Sediment input characteristics
- with bank material and
- Substantially influenced by
engineering activities
Introduction
 Rivers:
Provide water and nutrients for agriculture
Provide habitat to diverse flora and fauna
Provide recreation
Provide electricity
Introduction
 Existence of R depends on:

Availability of surface water
A channel in the ground
An inclined surface
(availability of ground water)
www.aquatic.uoguelph.ca/rivers/chintro.htm
Variation in time and space
 The shape, size and content of a river are constantly
changing, forming a close and mutual interdependence
between the river and the land it traverses.
Channel Morphology = f(River
Work)
What factors affect
stream morphology?
• Width
• Depth
• Slope
• Velocity
• Discharge
• Flow resistance
• Sediment size
• Sediment load
Classification of rivers
 Rivers are dependent on climate and their
characteristics. They are closely related to the
precipitation and evaporation regimes in their drainage
areas.
 based on variation of discharge:
Perennial rivers -adequate discharge throughout the year
Non-perennial (Periodic) rivers - flow is seasonally varying
Flashy rivers - there is a sudden increases in discharge &
The river stage rises and falls in a very short period.

Virgin rivers - rivers which get completely dried up before
joining another river and sea.

Classification cont…
 based on the location of reach
Mountainous rivers: they flow in hilly and mountainous
regions. These rivers are further divided into rocky rivers

and Boulder Rivers.
Rivers in flood plains: after the boulder stages, a river
enters the flood plains having alluvial soil. The bed and
banks of river are made up of sand and silt.
Delta Rivers: when a river enters a deltaic plain, it splits
into a number of small branches due to very flat slopes.

Tidal rivers: just before joining a sea or ocean, the river
becomes a tidal river. In a tidal river, there are periodic

changes in water level due to tides.
9
10
Classification cont…
 based on plan-from
Straight rivers: these rivers are straight in plain and
have cross-sectional shape of a trough. The maximum

velocity of flow usually occurs in the middle of the
section.
Meandering Rivers: They consist of a series of bends
of alternate curvature in the plain. The successive

curves are connected by small straight reach of the
river called crossovers or crossings.
Braided rivers: flow in two or more channels around
alluvial islands developed due to deposition of silt.

Meandering river
Meandering river
Braided channel
earthsci.org/teacher/basicgeol/stream/stream.html#Erosion%20by%20Streams
Stages of rivers
 As the river flows from its origin from a
mountain to a sea, it passes through various
stages. These are:
1. Rocky stages 3.
Alluvial stage
2. Boulder stage 4.
Deltaic River
Deltaic Rivers
Behaviors of Rivers in alluvial stages
 The behaviors of alluvial rivers mainly depend
on the sediment carrying capacity of the river.

 An alluvial river usually has the following three
stages:
- Flow in a straight reach
- Flow at bends
- Meandering type flow

 Flow in a straight reach: the river cross
section is in the shape of a trough (channel),

with high velocity flow in the middle of the
section.
Since the velocity is higher in the middle, the water
surface level will be lower in the middle and higher

at the edges.
Bends: every alluvial river tends to develop bends,
which are characterized by scouring on the concave
side and silting on the convex side.
 The silting and scouring in bends may continue due to
the action of centrifugal force

Meandering type flow
 Meandering: Meandering through an alluvial
plain has a series of consecutive curves of

reversed order connected with short straight
reach called crossings or crossovers
23
Causes of meandering
The causes for development of meander are the
following
 Development of successive bends of reverse
order which leads to complete S curve.

 The behavior of abatement sides of the river
 A river trying to follow the greatest gradient
to flow down and the easiest path to cut

through
 Meandering Parameters: The various meander
parameters are as shown in fig below:
Meander length (ML): It is the axial length of one meander,
i.e. the tangential distance between the corresponding points of

a meander.
Meander Belt (MB) or Meander width: It is the distance
between the outer edge of the clockwise and anti-clockwise

loops of the meander.
Meander Ratio: the ratio of the meander belt to meander
length, i.e. MB/ML.

Tortuosity: it is the ratio of length along the channel (actual
length) to the direct axial length of the channel

Crossings or cross-overs: The short straight reach of a river
connecting two consecutive clock wise and anti clock wise loops
are called crossings.
Experiments have been conducted, so as to establish some reliable r/ship b/n
meandering parameters.
 Cut off: In an excessively meandering river, a
particular bend may sometime be abandoned by the
formation of straighter and a shorter. The process
whereby this chord channel is developed or the chord
channels itself is termed as cut-off.
 A meander increases river length while a cutoff
decreases a river length

Catchment Area of rivers
What is a Drainage basin??
 Total area from which surface runoff flows to a
given point of concentration is called a

catchment area, drainage basin, drainage area,
or a watershed.
 Hence, a catchment area is always connected to
a certain point of concentration, to the lowest

point of the respective basin.
Drainage basin cont…
An area of land drained by a river and its
tributaries.
It is the catchment area from which a river
system obtains its supplies of water.

It can be described as an open system with
inputs, transfers, storage and outputs.
30
Watershed area
Watershed Forms
 Form of a watershed varies greatly, however, and is
tied to many factors including climatic regime,

underlying geology, morphology, soils, and
vegetation.
 Drainage Patterns: One distinctive aspect of a
watershed when observed in plan form /map view.

Stream ordering
Stream Ordering: A method of classifying, or
ordering, the hierarchy of natural channels within a

watershed was developed by Horton (1945).
Stream order is regionally controlled by topography &
geology.
Cont’d
Channel and Ground Water Relationships
 Interactions between ground water and the channel
vary throughout the watershed. In general, the

connection is strongest in streams with gravel
riverbeds in well-developed alluvial floodplains.
 Influent or “losing” reaches lose stream water to
the aquifer.
 Effluent or “gaining” reaches receive discharges
from the aquifer.

Channel Ground water relation ship
 Practitioners categorize streams based on the balance and timing
of the storm flow and base flow components. There are three main
categories:
 Ephemeral streams flow only during or immediately after periods of
precipitation. They generally flow less than 30 days per year.
 Intermittent streams flow only during certain times of the year.
Seasonal flow in an intermittent stream usually lasts longer than 30
days per year.
 Perennial streams flow continuously during both wet and dry times.
Base flow is dependably generated from the movement of ground
water into the channel.

 Discharge Regime: Stream flow is one of the
variables that determine the size and shape of the

channel.
Channel-forming (or dominant) discharge:
(conceptual) If the stream flow were held constant at

the channel-forming discharge, it would result in
channel morphology close to the existing channel.
Effective discharge: (calculated) The effective
discharge is the calculated measure of channel-

forming discharge. Effective discharge can be
computed for either stable or evolving channels.
 Channel width and depth increase downstream due to
increasing drainage area and discharge.

 Related structural changes also occur in the channel,
Longitudinal View along a Stream
floodplain, and transitional upland fringe, and in

processes such as erosion and deposition.
 The overall longitudinal profile of most streams can
be roughly divided into three zones:

Zone 1, or headwaters (or upper course):
 often has the steepest gradient. Sediment erodes from slopes

of the watershed and moves downstream.
Zone 2, the transfer zone (or Middle course):
 receives some of the eroded material. It is usually

characterized by wide floodplains and meandering channel
patterns. Longitudinal slope of the stream gradually eases;
tributaries join the main stream, and therefore often sudden
changes of flow regime.
Zone 3, the depositional zone (or Lower course):

 Longitudinal slope flattens; discharge increases in Zone 3, the
primary depositional zone.
 gradual deposition of sediment eroded upstream, hence
relatively short-period shifting and changing of the main
stream channel.
Three longitudinal profile zones
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Hydraulic Structures II

Course Code: CEng4162

Credit Hours: 3 hrs

Instructor: Wabi Eg.

channel configuration , geometry

Provide habitat to diverse flora and fauna

 Existence of R depends on:

A channel in the ground

An inclined surface

(availability of ground water)

Non-perennial (Periodic) rivers - flow is seasonally varying

Flashy rivers - there is a sudden increases in discharge &

The river stage rises and falls in a very short period.

joining another river and sea.

regions. These rivers are further divided into rocky rivers

into a number of small branches due to very flat slopes.

becomes a tidal river. In a tidal river, there are periodic

Straight rivers: these rivers are straight in plain and

have cross-sectional shape of a trough. The maximum

of alternate curvature in the plain. The successive

alluvial islands developed due to deposition of silt.

on the sediment carrying capacity of the river.

- Flow in a straight reach

- Meandering type flow

section is in the shape of a trough (channel),

surface level will be lower in the middle and higher

the action of centrifugal force

plain has a series of consecutive curves of

order which leads to complete S curve.

 A river trying to follow the greatest gradient

to flow down and the easiest path to cut

i.e. the tangential distance between the corresponding points of

between the outer edge of the clockwise and anti-clockwise

length, i.e. MB/ML.

length) to the direct axial length of the channel

decreases a river length

given point of concentration is called a

a certain point of concentration, to the lowest

system obtains its supplies of water.

inputs, transfers, storage and outputs.

tied to many factors including climatic regime,

watershed when observed in plan form /map view.

ordering, the hierarchy of natural channels within a

 Interactions between ground water and the channel

vary throughout the watershed. In general, the

from the aquifer.

 Ephemeral streams flow only during or immediately after periods of

precipitation. They generally flow less than 30 days per year.

 Intermittent streams flow only during certain times of the year.

Seasonal flow in an intermittent stream usually lasts longer than 30

days per year.

Base flow is dependably generated from the movement of ground

water into the channel.

variables that determine the size and shape of the

(conceptual) If the stream flow were held constant at

discharge is the calculated measure of channel-

increasing drainage area and discharge.

floodplain, and transitional upland fringe, and in

be roughly divided into three zones: