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Hydraulic Geometry of Stream Channels in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas

January 6, 2025

In 2014, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey to develop regional hydraulic geometry curves for the Boston Mountains in Arkansas. To accomplish this, fourteen stream reaches associated with stream flow-gaging stations operated by the U.S. Geological Survey were evaluated. These study reaches had contributing drainage basin areas ranging from 0.19 to 373 square miles. Comprehensive surveys and analyses were conducted to measure bankfull cross-sectional area, top width, mean depth, streamflow, and floodplain cross sections for these reaches. The collected data were then compared to drainage area to generate regional curves.

Additionally, bed and bar material sampling was performed at eight of the reaches to gather information on the particle-size distributions of the streambed and bar materials, as well as to assess the shapes of the individual particles. The particle size distributions were utilized to evaluate bed mobility at bankfull discharge and were compared with various factors, including land use/land cover, stream slope, and other geomorphic parameters.

The stream reaches at each gaging station were classified according to the Rosgen Level II stream type (Rosgen, 1996), based on the average channel metrics obtained from site cross sections and profiles. The classification of Rosgen stream types was then analyzed in relation to the geomorphic parameters, particle size distribution, and land use/land cover.

Files included in this data release include:
1) Boston Mountains data release.xml: A description of data and methods used to collect and process the data.
2) BostonMtns_Barparticles_DR.csv: A summary of the sampled point bar particle size distribution.
3 BostonMtns_Bedparticles_DR.csv: Measured bed particle dimensions, source cross section, size classification, and particle shapes at sampled reaches.
4) 12_BigPineyCk_Pool_edited.jpg: A cover picture from site 12, Big Piney Creek. Taken by Laura Ruhl-Whittle at a pool cross section.
5) BostonMountains_SelectedPictures.7z: A folder of site pictures featuring a range of photos from study reaches. Sites may include pictures looking upstream, downstream, at pools, at riffles, and/or floodplains.
6) BostonMtnsSummary.csv: A summary table of drainage basin characteristics, period of gage record, geomorphic parameters, bed and bar particle distributions, and stream reach classification.
7) BostonMountainsDataReleaseV4.gpkg: A GIS package including the gage location, the watershed outline, and surveyed points for each reach.

References:

Rosgen, D.L., 1996, Applied river morphology: Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Wildland Hydrology Books, 390 p.

Publication Year 2025
Title Hydraulic Geometry of Stream Channels in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas
DOI 10.5066/P1XARR7X
Authors Daniel Kroes, Laura S Ruhl-Whittle
Product Type Data Release
Record Source USGS Asset Identifier Service (AIS)
USGS Organization Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center - Nashville, TN Office
Rights This work is marked with CC0 1.0 Universal
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