River Dynamics Geomorphology to Support Management

Rivers are important agents of change that shape the Earth's surface and evolve through time in response to fluctuations in climate and other environmental conditions. They are fundamental in landscape development, and essential for water supply, irrigation, and transportation. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the geomorphological processes that shape rivers and that produce change in the form of rivers. It explores how the dynamics of rivers are being affected by anthropogenic change, including climate change, dam construction, and modification of rivers for flood control and land drainage. It discusses how concern about environmental degradation of rivers has led to the emergence of management strategies to restore and naturalize these systems, and how river management techniques work best when coordinated with the natural dynamics of rivers. This textbook provides an excellent resource for students, researchers, and professionals in fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, river science, and environmental policy.

Preface; Introduction; 2. The Dynamics of Drainage Basins and Stream Networks; 3. Sediment Dynamics at Global and Drainage-Basin Scales; 4. Flow Dynamics in Rivers; 5. Sediment Transport Dynamics in Rivers; 6. Magnitude-Frequency Concepts and the Dynamics of Channel-Forming Events; 7. The Shaping of Channel Geometry; 8. Channel Planform – Controls on Development and Change; 9. The Dynamics of Meandering Rivers; 10. The Dynamics of Braided Rivers; 11. The Dynamics of Anabranching Rivers; 12. The Dynamics of River Confluences; 13. The Vertical Dimension of Rivers: Longitudinal Profiles, Profile Adjustments, and Step-Pool Morphology; 14. The Dynamics of Floodplains; 15. Human Impacts on River Dynamics; 16. River Dynamics and Management; Appendix A. Power Functions in Fluvial Geomorphology; Appendix B. Characterization of Fluvial Sediment; Appendix C. Measuring Discharge and Velocities in Rivers; Appendix D. Measurement of Sediment Transport in Rivers; List of Symbols; References; Index.

Bruce L. Rhoads is Professor of Geography and Geographic Information Science at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has been actively engaged in research on river dynamics for over 35 years. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow and has received awards for research excellence and a distinguished research career from the American Association of Geographers. He is a Fellow of the Association of American Geographers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.