Influence of flow variability on floodplain formation and destruction, Little Missouri River, North Dakota

Abstract

Research Article| May 01, 2009 Influence of flow variability on floodplain formation and destruction, Little Missouri River, North Dakota Jennifer R. Miller; Jennifer R. Miller * 1Department of Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA *Present address: Metcalf & Eddy/AECOM, 1201 Peachtree Street, 400 Colony Square, Suite 1104, Atlanta, Georgia 30361, USA. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jonathan M. Friedman Jonathan M. Friedman † 2U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA †[e-mail] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Jennifer R. Miller * 1Department of Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA Jonathan M. Friedman † 2U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA †[e-mail] *Present address: Metcalf & Eddy/AECOM, 1201 Peachtree Street, 400 Colony Square, Suite 1104, Atlanta, Georgia 30361, USA. Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 22 Oct 2007 Revision Received: 01 Jul 2008 Accepted: 25 Aug 2008 First Online: 03 Oct 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 © 2009 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2009) 121 (5-6): 752–759. https://doi.org/10.1130/B26355.1 Article history Received: 22 Oct 2007 Revision Received: 01 Jul 2008 Accepted: 25 Aug 2008 First Online: 03 Oct 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Jennifer R. Miller, Jonathan M. Friedman; Influence of flow variability on floodplain formation and destruction, Little Missouri River, North Dakota. GSA Bulletin 2009;; 121 (5-6): 752–759. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B26355.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Resolving observations of channel change into separate planimetric measurements of floodplain formation and destruction reveals distinct relations between these processes and the flow regime. We analyzed a time sequence of eight bottomland images from 1939 to 2003 along the Little Missouri River, North Dakota, to relate geomorphic floodplain change to flow along this largely unregulated river. At the decadal scale, floodplain formation and destruction varied independently. Destruction was strongly positively correlated with the magnitude of infrequent high flows that recur every 5–10 yr, whereas floodplain formation was negatively correlated with the magnitude of frequent low flows exceeded 80% of the time. At the century scale, however, a climatically induced decrease in peak flows has reduced the destruction rate, limiting the area made available for floodplain formation. The rate of destruction was not uniform across the floodplain. Younger surfaces were consistently destroyed at a higher rate than older surfaces, suggesting that throughput of contaminants would have occurred more rapidly than predicted by models that assume uniform residence time of sediment across the floodplain. Maps of floodplain ages produced by analysis of sequential floodplain images are similar to maps of forest ages produced through dendrochronology, confirming the assumption of dendrogeomorphic studies that riparian tree establishment in this system is limited to recent channel locations. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.