David Dean studies hydrology, geomorphology, and sediment transport of rivers in arid and semi-arid ecosystems.
River Sediment Dynamics webpage
Information about the the Southwest Biological Science Center Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Station's River Sediment Dynamics group.
River Sediment Dynamics Portal
Download portal for continuous suspended-sediment and other related data collected by the River Sediment Dynamics group.
Geomorphic Changes in the Rio Grande of the Big Bend
Read Dave Dean's USGS Fact Sheet about his research on the Rio Grande in the Big Bend Region.
As a research hydrologist with the GCMRC and SBSC, I conduct original research linking hydrology and sediment transport to fluvial geomorphic processes. My research is conducted in the Rio Grande in the Big Bend region of far west Texas, the Green and Yampa Rivers in Dinosaur National Monument, the Green and Colorado Rivers in Canyonlands National Park, the Little Colorado River and its tributaries in northern Arizona, and the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. My research aims to quantify how hydrologic and geomorphic processes respond to factors such as climate change, large-scale water development and management, the widespread establishment of non-native riparian plants, and anthropogenic modifications to fluvial bottomlands. All of these perturbations directly affect how water and sediment are routed through fluvial drainage networks, which controls the geomorphic behavior, and biologic processes of these river systems.
Much of my work incorporates the use of acoustic instrumentation to passively monitor suspended-sediment transport processes on rivers with high suspended-sediment loads. This work is paired with measurements of geomorphic change using a variety of data and techniques including: high-resolution topographic data collected with real-time-kinematic GPS and LIDAR, aerial imagery, and analysis of historical hydrologic and geomorphic data. My work is directly relevant to the primary scientific understanding of the hydrologic and geomorphic behavior of these rivers, as well as the management actions that may help mitigate fluvial perturbations that have occurred. My work also focuses on the biogeomorphic interactions between stream flow, sediment transport, and riparian vegetation, and how those interactions can result in negative and/or positive feedbacks of geomorphic change.
Science and Products
River Sediment Dynamics
Measuring Suspended-Sediment Concentrations, Grain Sizes and Bedload using Acoustic Doppler Velocity Meters and Echologgers in the Lower Chippewa River, Wisconsin
Measuring Suspended-Sediment Concentrations, Grain Sizes, and Bedload using Multiple Single-Frequency Acoustic Doppler Profilers and Echologgers in the Lower Chippewa River, Wisconsin.
Suspended-Sediment Transport Dynamics of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo
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River Sediment Dynamics
Sediment controls the physical habitat of river ecosystems. Changes in the amount and areal distribution of different sediment types cause changes in river-channel form and river habitat. The amount and type of sediment suspended in the water column determines water clarity. Understanding sediment transport and the conditions under which sediment is deposited or eroded from the various...Measuring Suspended-Sediment Concentrations, Grain Sizes and Bedload using Acoustic Doppler Velocity Meters and Echologgers in the Lower Chippewa River, Wisconsin
Sediment from the Chippewa River deposits in the Mississippi River navigation channel, sometimes disrupting commercial barge traffic and resulting in expensive and ecologically disruptive dredging operations. The USGS is using new applications of hydroacoustic technologies to better understand sediment transport in the Chippewa River and associated effects on commercial navigation.Measuring Suspended-Sediment Concentrations, Grain Sizes, and Bedload using Multiple Single-Frequency Acoustic Doppler Profilers and Echologgers in the Lower Chippewa River, Wisconsin.
The Upper Mississippi River (UMR) provides critical habitat for hundreds of aquatic species and provides Minnesota with a transportation link to the rest of the world. Reliable measurements of sediment are important for making decisions as part of maintaining the channel. In 2014, sediment deposition in the navigation channel caused channel closures of the UMR delaying commercial navigation for 3...Suspended-Sediment Transport Dynamics of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo
The Rio Grande/Rio Bravo (hereafter referred to as the Rio Grande) in the Big Bend region of Texas, USA, and Chihuahua, and Coahuila, MX has substantially narrowed since the early 1900s. This narrowing has been caused by the construction and operation of dams and irrigation diversions in upstream reaches of the Rio Grande in the U.S. and the Rio Conchos in Mexico that has reduced mean and peak... - Data
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