*Factors effecting powers of River

- Factors affecting the transportation power of river.

1. Size of particle to be carried
2. Volume of total load
3. Velocity of river
Load (Volume of total load)
The amount of material that a river carries at any given time is called its load.
Capacity (Velocity of river)
• The total amount of material a river is capable of carrying under any given set of
conditions is called the capacity of the river.
• The capacity is a function of discharge and velocity.
• Capacity of a river varies approximately with the third power of the velocity if a fair
proportion of all grain sizes are available, with a higher power if all the materials are
fine grained and with a lower power if the material is coarse.
• Capacity ∞ V 3.
Competence (Size of particle to be carried)
• The maximum size of particle that a river carry is called its competence.
• The competence of a river is statement of its ability to move materials in terms of
material size.
• Competence is a function of velocity only.
• The diameter of a particle that a river can move varies approximately with the
square of the stream velocity.
• d ∞ v 2.

*Describe the movement of bed load

- Bed load:
• These are solid particles, which move along the river bed.
• Bed load mainly consists of gravel and sand.
• Particles in the bed load move in three ways: by saltation, rolling and
sliding.
Saltation:
• The transport of hard particles over an uneven surface in a turbulent flow of air or
water.
• A particle moving by saltation from one point of the stream to another.
• First, it is picked up by a current of turbulent water and move upwards and if it is too
heavy to remain in suspension, it drops to the stream floor again at some spot
downstream.

Rolling: Larger particles, like stones and gravel, are more likely to roll along the riverbed
due to the water's push. As water flows over these particles, they are rotated and repositioned
downstream in a rolling motion. The shape and weight of the particles influence how they
interact with the flow.

Sliding: Heavier particles tend to slide along the riverbed due to the drag force exerted by
the flowing water. This sliding movement is relatively slow and depends on the size, shape,
and roughness of the particles as well as the velocity of the water.

*Describe the channel changes during flood

1. - Increased Water Flow: As the intensity of the flood increases, the volume of water flowing
through the river channel rises significantly. This increased water flow has a higher energy level,
which affects the channel's shape and behavior.
2. Erosion of Channel Bed and Banks: The higher velocity of floodwaters causes the river to erode its
bed and banks. The water's energy dislodges sediment particles from the channel bottom and banks,
carrying them downstream. This erosion can result in the deepening and widening of the channel.
3. Sediment Transport: The floodwater carries a considerable amount of sediment, ranging from sand
to fine silt and debris. This sediment is transported downstream by the powerful flow, and as the
water slows down, it deposits sediment in areas with reduced velocity.
4. Bank Collapse: The erosive force of floodwaters can cause the banks of the river to collapse in
certain areas. This bank erosion changes the channel's dimensions and can lead to the formation of
steep cutbanks.
5. Channel Widening: The combination of bank erosion and sediment transport can lead to the
widening of the channel. The removal of material from the banks contributes to the expansion of the
channel's width.
6. Meander Migration: In meandering rivers, floodwaters can accelerate the erosion of the outer bends
(cutbanks) and deposit sediment on the inner bends (point bars). This process can lead to meander
migration, where the channel's alignment shifts over time.
7. Formation of Temporary Islands and Sandbars: Sediment carried by the floodwater may be
deposited in the channel itself, creating temporary islands or sandbars. These features form due to the
drop in flow velocity as water spreads out across the floodplain.
8. Changes in Water Velocity: The flood's high energy increases the water velocity, which affects the
sediment-carrying capacity of the water. Faster-flowing water can transport larger and coarser
sediment particles.
9. Sediment Sorting: Floodwaters have the ability to sort sediment by size. Larger, heavier particles
settle out first as the flow velocity decreases, while smaller particles may remain suspended or be
carried farther downstream.
 10. Temporary Alteration of Channel Gradient: The force of the flood can temporarily alter the
river's gradient, particularly in steep terrain. The water may reshape the channel's slope as it moves
sediment and reshapes the bed.
11. Deposition on Floodplains: As the floodwaters spill onto the adjacent floodplain, they lose energy
and deposit sediment. This deposition contributes to the formation of natural levees and floodplain
deposits.

Concept of Equilibrium:

The concept of equilibrium in a river or stream refers to a state where the amount of sediment (load)
supplied to the watercourse from its drainage basin is balanced or matched by the capacity of the stream to
transport that sediment. This balance results in a relatively stable condition where the stream's hydraulic
factors, such as flow velocity, sediment transport capacity, and channel morphology, change continuously to
maintain this state of equilibrium.

Equation of Longitudinal Profile:

Assumption:

The tendency of a stream to erode at any particular point along its profile is directly proportional to the
height of the stream above the base level. If, H = Elevation above base level or MSL in ft.
Readjustment of the Stream Grade:

A graded stream delicately adjusted to its environment of supply of water and rock waste
from the upstream sources is highly sensitive to changes in those controls. Changes in
climate and in land surface of the watershed bring changes in discharge and load at
downstream points and these changes in turn require channel readjustment.

1. Effect of Increase in bed load:

Increase of bed load beyond stream capacity

 Accumulation of coarse sediment on the stream bed

 Elevation of stream bed
 Aggradation

As consequence of aggradation:

a. In the upstream direction:

Reduction of the channel slope in the upstream direction

 Reduction of the stream capacity in the reach

 Accumulation of bed materials in the upstream direction

b. In the downstream direction:

Increase in the channel slope

 Increase in velocity
 Bed material is dragged downstream
Aggradation changes the channel cross section
from a narrow and deep form to a wide and
shallow one. Continuous formation of bars
divides the flow into multiple directions which
gives rise to ‘braided channel’.

2. Effect of Decrease in bed load: Due to the decrease of the bed load, a channel precisely
graded is no longer in equilibrium. As a result:

Scouring of stream:

 Trenching into the alluvium and lowering of stream profile

 Degradation (channel trenching)

As a result of this, the channel takes a narrower cross section and develops steep, wall-like
banks of alluvium. After this channel trenching, the former floodplain is free from annual
flooding and becomes a ‘stream terrace’. After degradation has taken place, the stream will
normally attain a new and lower profile of equilibrium. When the new equilibrium is
established, the stream will usually develop meanders and will shift laterally to form a new
floodplain. In many cases alternate cycles of aggradation and degradation produce a very
complex series of terraces. These reflect the changing response of the stream to climatic
changes.

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