WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH, VOL. 38, NO. 1, 10.1029/2000WR000014, 2002

A stochastic model of hydraulic variations within stream channels

Michael J. Stewardson and Thomas A. McMahon

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology,
University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

Abstract

[1]   This paper presents a stochastic model of the joint depth and velocity probability distribution in stream channels. Model input is restricted to simple measures of channel geometry. Hydraulic distributions are quantified using two independent hydraulic variables, each a function of velocity and depth, and varying either longitudinally or laterally within a stream channel. The stochastic model provides a useful tool for exploring relations between fine-scale hydraulic variations and channel geometry. One application is modeling fine-scale hydraulic habitat conditions in stream channels.

Received 13 October 2000; revised 9 July 2001; accepted 13 August 2001; published 29 January 2002.

Keywords: velocity distribution; depth distribution; channel geometry; habitat; stochastic hydraulics.

Index Terms: 1824 Hydrology: Geomorphology (1625); 1845 Hydrology: Limnology.

Citation: Stewardson, M. J., and T. A. McMahon, A stochastic model of hydraulic variations within stream channels, Water Resour. Res., 38(1), 10.1029/2000WR000014, 2002.

Copyright 2002 by the American Geophysical Union.