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Hydrological Responses to Channelization and The Formation of Valley Plugs and Shoals

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Abstract

Rehabilitation of floodplain systems focuses on restoring interactions between the fluvial system and floodplain, however, there is a paucity of information on the effects of valley plugs and shoals on floodplain hydrological processes. We investigated hydrologic regimes in floodplains at three valley plug sites, two shoal sites, and three unchannelized sites. Valley plug sites had altered surface and sub-surface hydrology relative to unchannelized sites, while only sub-surface hydrology was affected at shoal sites. Some of the changes were unexpected, such as reduced flood duration and flood depth in floodplains associated with valley plugs. Our results emphasize the variability associated with hydrologic processes around valley plugs and our rudimentary understanding of the effects associated with these geomorphic features. Water table levels were lower at valley plug sites compared to unchannelized sites, however, valley plug sites had a greater proportion of days when water table inundation was above mean root collar depth than both shoal and unchannelized sites as a result of lower root collar depths and higher deposition rates. This study has provided evidence that valley plugs can affect both surface and sub-surface hydrology in different ways than previously thought and illustrates the variability in hydrological responses to valley plug formation.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this project was provided by the U.S.D.A. –CSREES Initiative for Future Agricultural and Food Systems, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and The Nature Conservancy – Hatchie River Project. We would like to thank A. Wyss, G. Gallien, C. Wirwa, and D. Orr for their logistic support. We thank B.J. Wilson, W. Cochran, J. Fox, J. Roberson, and B. Hemal for their assistance in the field. We thank J. Weltzin, D. Buehler, C. Harden, J. Franklin, R. Albright, and R. Keim for providing constructive comments on this manuscript. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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  1. Aaron R. Pierce

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Nicholls State University, P.O. Box 2021, Thibodaux, LA, 70310, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Aaron R. Pierce

  2. U.S. Geological Survey, Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, LSU AgCenter, 124 School of Renewable Natural Resources, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Sammy L. King

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  1. Aaron R. Pierce
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Correspondence to Aaron R. Pierce.

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Pierce, A.R., King, S.L. Hydrological Responses to Channelization and The Formation of Valley Plugs and Shoals. Wetlands 37, 513–523 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-017-0886-4

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