Geomorphic classification of rivers

Abstract

Over the last several decades, environmental legislation and a growing awareness of historical human disturbance to rivers worldwide (Schumm, 1977; Collins et al., 2003; Surian and Rinaldi, 2003; Nilsson et al., 2005; Chin, 2006; Walter and Merritts, 2008) have fostered unprecedented collaboration among scientists, land managers, and stakeholders to better understand, monitor, and restore riverine ecosystems. The additional concern over climate change (IPCC, 2007) and the need for securing supplies of clean water for the burgeoning world population (Revenga et al., 2000) have further spurred collaborative watershed analyses. In geomorphology, much of this effort focuses on assessing the effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbances of the landscape in order to understand past response, determine current conditions, and predict likely responses to future disturbance, including land management and restoration activities (e.g., Kondolf et al., 2001; Brierley and Fryirs, 2005; Simon et al., 2011). Channel classification is one tool that is used to address these needs. This chapter reviews the purposes of geomorphic channel classification, the different types of classifications that have been developed, and their use, compatibility, and popularity, and concludes with a look at future needs and directions for channel classification.

Citation

Buffington, J. M.; Montgomery, D. R. 2013. Geomorphic classification of rivers. In: Shroder, J.; Wohl, E., ed. Treatise on Geomorphology; Fluvial Geomorphology, Vol. 9. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. p. 730-767.