Sediment transport in the Tanana River in the vicinity of Fairbanks, Alaska, 1977

Measurements of suspended- and bedload-sediment transport for the Tanana River in the vicinity of Fairbanks, Alaska, show that suspended-sediment load, G in tons per day, relates to water discharge, Q, in cubic feet per scond, as:

G_S = 1.66 x 10^-8 Q^2.83

The bedload transport rate is approximately one percent of the suspended-sediment transport rate.

The median particle size of suspended sediment is generally silt (2.0 mm, and often in the range of 10 to 20 mm), but at some low transport rates, the median particle size is medium sand. At all water discharges and sediment-transport rates, the particles constituting the suspended load are significantly smaller than the particles constituting the bedload.