Stream Restoration Projects

Glossary

Glossary

A number of terms are used to describe the loss of sediment from channel boundaries. These terms include channel erosion, streambank retreat, streambank erosion, scour, incision, and downcutting. For consistency and clarification, the following list defines the terms used on this web site and in the project report. Several of these definitions are based on a 1997 paper by Lawler et al. (Lawler, D. M., C. R. Thorne, and J. M. Hooke. 1997. Bank erosion and instability., Thorne, C. R. , R. D. Hey, and M. D. Newson, eds. Applied Fluvial Geomorphology for River Engineering and Management. John Wiley & Sons: Chichester. 138-172.)

Bedload	Larger particles in bed material that are transported either by rolling, sliding, or saltation.
Channel degradation	Net loss of sediment from a cross section or reach
Deposition	Settling of suspended soil particles on the streambed or streambank
Equation	Matematcial relationships which provide the theoretical framework for model processes
Formula	see equation
Mass wasting	Collapse of the streambank due to geotechnical instability
Model	Watershed or stream modeling software program
Program	see model
Relationships	see equation
Scour	Direct removal of soil particles or aggregates from the streambed by stream flow
Sediment transport capacity	Maximum amount of sediment a stream can carry at a give discharge
Software	see model
Streambank erosion	Removal of soil particles or aggregates from the streambans due to stream flow
Streambank retreat	Net recession of a streambank due to the combination of subaerial processes, fluvial erosion, and mass wasting
Subaerial erosion	Removal of soil particles or aggregates due to soil weakening by subaerial processes
Washload	Particles that remain in suspension

© VT-BSE-TMDL Center 2006 | Updated 28 August 2006

Funded by US EPA Grant AW-83238501

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