Spatial variability in streambed hydraulic conductivity of contrasting stream morphologies: Channel bend and straight channel

Abstract

Streambed hydraulic conductivity is one of the main factors controlling variability in surface water-groundwater interactions, but only few studies aim at quantifying its spatial and temporal variability in different stream morphologies. Streambed horizontal hydraulic conductivities (Kh) were therefore determined from in-stream slug tests, vertical hydraulic conductivities (Kv) were calculated with in-stream permeameter tests and hydraulic heads were measured to obtain vertical head gradients at eight transects, each comprising five test locations, in a groundwater-dominated stream. Seasonal small-scale measurements were taken in December 2011 and August 2012, both in a straight stream channel with homogeneous elevation and downstream of a channel meander with heterogeneous elevation. All streambed attributes showed large spatial variability. Kh values were the highest at the depositional inner bend of the stream, whereas high Kv values were observed at the erosional outer bend and near the middle of the channel. Calculated Kv values were related to the thickness of the organic streambed sediment layer and also showed higher temporal variability than Kh because of sedimentation and scouring processes affecting the upper layers of the streambed. Test locations at the channel bend showed a more heterogeneous distribution of streambed properties than test locations in the straight channel, whereas within the channel bend, higher spatial variability in streambed attributes was observed across the stream than along the stream channel.