The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bradford County Conservation District, recently released a new report and dataset on bankfull stream discharge and channel geometry for glaciated and nonglaciated settings in Pennsylvania that are now available in StreamStats.

Streambank erosion in areas of past glacial deposition has been shown to be a dominant source of sediment to streams. Water resource managers are faced with the challenge of developing long and short term (emergency) stream restoration efforts that rely on the most suitable channel geometry for project design.

A geomorphic dataset of new (2016, n=5) and previous (1999–2006, n=96) estimates of bankfull discharge and channel dimensions at U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations was compiled to present and contrast the glaciated and unglaciated noncarbonate settings of southern New York and Pennsylvania that included selected areas of Maryland.

Data stratification by glaciation did not improve regional curves relations developed previously for the noncarbonate (glaciated and unglaciated) and carbonate settings of Pennsylvania and Maryland, but the new estimates of bankfull discharge and channel dimensions at streamflow gaging sites and updated drainage areas from StreamStats were incorporated into previously developed regional curves to produce an updated set of regression relations of bankfull discharge and channel geometry for the noncarbonate and carbonate settings of Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Click Here for access to the report and go to StreamStats to select a stream location in PA for bankfull discharge and channel dimensions estimates.  Questions should be directed to John Clune, U.S.G.S., by sending email to: jclune@usgs.gov.

[Posted: Dec. 18, 2018]

12/24/2018