U.S. Geological Survey
USGS Public Access
Corrected 10/98

Project Data - Results from selected sites in the Lake Erie-Lake St. Clair Basin
(National Water-Quality Assessment Program)

Streambed and streambank material characterizations from selected sites in the Lake Erie - Lake St. Clair Basin

The composition of the streambed and streambank are an important facet of stream character, influencing channel form and hydraulics, erosion rates, sediment supply, and other characteristics (Rosgen, 1994). A quantitative description of the size of the coarse streambed material was obtained at all fixed sites using the Wolman Pebble Count (Wolman, 1954) technique. Stream bed and bank cores were sieved by the USGS Iowa City, Iowa Sediment Laboratory. Particle sizes are tallied by using Wentworth size classes in which the size doubles with each class (2,4,8,16,32 mm.). A minimum of 50 attempts were made at three transects to obtain a Wolman Pebble Count. Streambed and streambank core samples were collected at the same three transects and the composite results are found below.


                     Percent size and type of coarse material found on the streambed
                        by Wolman Pebble Count Method (size in millimeters) 

                                                           % Boulders     % Cobbles        % Pebbles           % Gravel
                                                           ----------     ---------        ---------      -------------------
                                                                       <=256   <=128     <=64    <=32     <=16     <=8    <=4  
                                                                        and     and       and     and      and     and    and  
STATION                                                        >256    >128     >64       >32      >16      >8      >4     >2  
NUMBER    STATION NAME                                Date     (mm)    (mm)     (mm)     (mm)     (mm)    (mm)     (mm)   (mm) 

04159492  BLACK R. NEAR JEDDO, MI                   07/07/97    0      10.7     45.0     24.2      6.7     8.3      4.2    0.8  
04161820  CLINTON R. AT STERLING HEIGHTS, MI        07/30/97    0       0        0        0.8     42.7    51.0      5.5    0    
04175600  RIVER RAISIN NEAR MANCHESTER, MI          07/31/97    0       0.7      7.8     21.7     36.4    27.9      5.5    0    
04178000  ST JOSEPH R. NEAR NEWVILLE, IN            08/08/97    0       1.5     12.1     27.1     30.8    22.5      6.0    0    
04183000  MAUMEE R. AT NEW HAVEN, IN                08/07/97    0       2.8      7.7     27.4     34.6    26.1      1.4    0    
                                                                                                                                             
04186500  AUGLAIZE R. NEAR FORT JENNINGS, OH        08/06/97    0       0.8     16.1     36.5     20.4    17.5      7.3    1.4  
04193500  MAUMEE R. AT WATERVILLE, OH               08/04/97    0      11.4     22.9     24.0     28.1     7.3      6.3    0    
04208504  CUYAHOGA R. AT LTV STEEL AT CLEVELAND, OH 07/17/97    0       5.0     24.0     41.0     26.0     4.0      0      0    
04211820  GRAND R. AT HARPERSFIELD, OH              06/24/97    1.1    14.9     26.6     31.8     16.9     7.5      1.1    0    
04213500  CATTARAUGUS CR. AT GOWANDA, NY            07/15/97    0.7    13.6     20.7     25.1     27.7    10.3      1.9    0    



                 Percent size and type of bed material found in streambed cores (size in millimeters)

         % Pebbles          % Gravel                              % Sand                                      % Silt/Clay
         ---------   -----------------------     -------------------------------------------------------      -----------
STATION   <=32>16  <=16->8    <=8->4   <=4->2   <=2->1   <=1->0.5   <=0.5->0.25  <=0.25->0.125  <=0.125->0.062  <=0.062       
NUMBER     (mm)      (mm)       (mm)    (mm)     (mm)      (mm)        (mm)           (mm)       (mm)            (mm)         

04159492    0        7.7        14.0     12.0     10.9      9.1        21.1           11.4        2.1            11.6       
04161820    0.4     12.2       15.0      10.0      7.7     12.5        30.0           10.5        1.2             0.4        
04175600    0        6.4        8.1       7.8      6.1     13.2        34.6           16.0        1.4             6.3        
04178000    0       10.7       11.3      10.9     12.9     16.8        19.4            7.1        3.3             7.5        
04183000    0       10.7       17.6      13.7      9.0      8.1        19.2           10.4        3.5             7.8        
                                                                                                                                                        
04186500    1.0     19.2       16.8      13.6     12.8     12.7        11.4            4.7        1.7             6.1        
04193500                                 No streambed sample collected, bedrock bottom                                       
04208504    1.8      3.1        5.7       8.0     14.5     21.9        33.3            8.4        1.8             1.5        
04211820                                 No streambed sample collected, bedrock bottom                                       
04213500    0       18.8       22.3      17.0     14.0     11.6        12.3            2.9        0.6             0.5        


                  Percent size and type of bank material found in streambank cores (size in millimeters) 

         % Pebbles          % Gravel                              % Sand                                      % Silt/Clay
         ---------   -----------------------     -------------------------------------------------------      -----------
STATION   <=32>16  <=16->8    <=8->4   <=4->2   <=2->1   <=1->0.5   <=0.5->0.25  <=0.25->0.125  <=0.125->0.062  <=0.062       
NUMBER     (mm)      (mm)       (mm)    (mm)     (mm)      (mm)        (mm)           (mm)       (mm)            (mm)         

04159492    0        1.4        0.5       0.6      1.0      2.4        18.0          38.8        16.4           20.7       
04161820    0        7.8       11.6       7.4      3.8      2.1        12.9          32.7        13.9            7.8        
04175600    0        0.1        0.7       1.0      2.6      4.8        16.5          33.1        13.0           28.2       
04178000    0        0          0.7       3.4      5.4      5.2         7.2          13.0        10.9           54.2       
04183000    0        0.2        0.3       1.2      3.0      3.4         9.2          22.6        16.3           43.9       
                                                                                                                                          
04186500    0        0.6        2.4       3.3      5.0      4.7         7.7          13.0        11.0           52.3       
04193500    0        0          1.2       1.4      2.3      3.6        12.9          24.1        21.6           33.0       
04208504    0        0          0.2       0.4      1.0      2.0        10.7          28.6        20.3           36.7       
04211820    0        1.3        3.4       4.2      4.8      9.4        20.8          16.1        11.9           28.1       
04213500    0        0.3        0.3       0.6      0.9      1.8        11.3          24.9        22.9           37.1       
REFERENCES CITED:

Rosgen, D.L., 1994, A classification of natural rivers: Catena, v. 22, p. 169-199.

Wolman, M.G., 1954, A method of sampling coarse river-bed material: Trans. Am. Geophys. Union, v. 35, p. 951-956.


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