Suspended sediment fluxes in chalk streams in the Hampshire Avon catchment, U.K.

Abstract

Groundwater is a major influence on the hydrological, chemical and thermal regime of chalk streams in the southern U.K. However, little is currently known about the nature of the sediment delivery system within these chalk stream systems, even though sediment-related problems have been increasingly cited as a cause of habitat degradation and of declining salmonid stocks. To address this knowledge gap, suspended sediment fluxes were monitored at 4 sites within the Hampshire Avon catchment between February 1999 and August 2000. Maximum suspended sediment concentrations ranged from nearly 45 mg l⁻¹ to 260 mg l⁻¹. Over the study period, annual suspended sediment loads ranged from 644 to 6215 t yr⁻¹ and annual specific sediment yields ranged from 1.4 to 12.5 t km⁻² yr⁻¹. The results show that, relative to other U.K. rivers, the study chalk streams are characterised by low suspended sediment concentrations and loads and less episodic behaviour.