Omdurman Islamic University

UNESCO Chair in Water Resources

Master Degree Program in

Water Resources Development and Management

Course Title: River Mechanics

Lecture 1: Introduction
Nov. 2022
 River Mechanics (Sedimentation and Erosion)
Credit Hours: 3

• Channel Stability and Equilibrium,

• Flood control-Channel Transitions and Controls.
• River Engineering: Navigation System-Navigation locks
• Dikes – Revetment-Breakwater and jetties
• River Bank Protection
• watershed erosion & Erosion control
• Retrogression downstream of hydraulic structures
• Sediment excluders
• Rigid and loose boundary physical models
Inroduction

Most prosperous cities in the world are located along or

near river confluences. River engineers must design
structures to draw benefits from the fluvial system for
developing societies.
Ideally, scientists should develop new methods to
improve engineering design, while practitioners must
understand why certain structures work and others fail.

Fundamentally, river mechanics requires understanding

of hydrodynamic forces governing the motion of water
and sediment in complex river systems. Additionally, the
fluvial network must seek equilibrium in its ability to
carry water and transport sediment through dynamic
river systems.
Nowadays, river engineers are concerned not only about urban
drainage, flood control, and water supply, but also about water
quality, contamination, and aquatic habitat

Conceptually, the fluvial system can be divided into three zones:

(1) an erosional zone as a source of runoff and sediment;

(2) a transport zone for water and sediment conveyance; and
(3) a depositional zone for runoff and sediment delivery

Deviations from equilibrium conditions will trigger a dynamic

response from alluvial rivers to restore the balance between the
inflow and outflow of water and sediment.
Erosion, transport, and sedimentation zones of a fluvial system
 Rivers: Two main kinds
• Non Alluvial or Bedrock rivers; part of the bed is
bare rock, where river cutting down
• generally in upper reaches of rivers

• Alluvial rivers; bed consists of sediment (‘alluvium’

= river-associated sediment)
• Downstream reaches
 Bedrock Rivers
• Erosion rate depends on slope
• Presence of sediment (‘tools’) increases erosion
Alluvial Rivers
Landform: Floodplain
Channel morphology

 Strait river channel

 Meandering river channel
 Braided river channel
Strait river channel
• Where water is moving fast streams tend to be straighter
(steep slopes)
• Once the water slows the river becomes more sinuous and
meanders across a flatter surface
Braided stream
• Braided streams are
bedload dominated
• Nonlinear sediment
transport laws result in
dynamic feedbacks
Meandering stream; Point Bar and Cut Bank
Point Bars and Cutbanks along river meanders

Santee River, SC
Neuse River, NC

Note point bars

 Point Bar: The inner portion of a meander bend.
More shallow due to increased deposition resulting
from lower flow velocities

 Cut Bank: the outer portion of a meander bend. It is

subject to the highest rates of a erosion due to elevated
flow speeds and the deepest part of the channel

 When a meander bend erodes far enough to cut itself
off an Oxbow lake forms
• If you look at your
typical Meandering
stream, you will
find that flow
velocity is greatest
near the surface
directly above the
deepest part of the
channel
• The deepest part of
the channel will
vary depending on
the what part of the
river you are
observing
 River Morphology
Alluvial Fans
• When a steep mountain stream enters a flat valley, there is a sudden
decrease in gradient and velocity.
• Sediment transported in the stream will suddenly become deposited
along the valley walls in an alluvial fan.
• As the velocity of the mountain stream slows it becomes choked with
sediment and breaks up into numerous distributary channels.
 River Morphology
Deltas:
• When a stream enters a standing body of water the sudden decrease in
velocity causes deposition of sediment in a deposit called a delta.
• Deltas build outward from the coast, but only survive if the ocean
currents are not strong enough to remove the sediment.
• As the velocity of a stream decreases on entering the delta, the stream
becomes choked with sediment and conditions become such that the
stream breaks into many smaller streams called distributary streams.
Oxbow lake formation
Incised Meanders
Floodplains and Levees:
• As a stream overtops its banks during a flood, the velocity of the flood
will first be high, but will decrease as the water flows out over the
gentle gradient of the floodplain.
• Because of the sudden decrease in velocity, the coarser grained
suspended sediment is deposited along the riverbank, eventually
building up a natural levee.

• Natural levees provide

some protection from
flooding because with each
flood the levee is built
higher and discharge must
be higher for the next flood
to occur.
Natural Levee formation
Artificial Levees
Levee Failures
Natural River - 1948
1964
EROSION AND SEDIMENT PROCESS

Erosion is the wearing away of material by naturally occurring

agents through the detachment and transport of soil materials
from one location to another, usually at a lower elevation.
Natural agents are mostly responsible for this phenomenon but
the extent to which erosion occurs can be considerably
accelerated through human activities.

Sedimentation is the deposition of soil particles previously held in

suspension by flowing water. The phenomenon of sedimentation
takes place at those locations experiencing a reduction in the
velocity of flow. Initially the larger particles settle out. As the
flow velocity reduces further, the smaller particles settle,
eventually, leaving only the clay sized particles, being the
smallest, as the last to be deposited. Sedimentation can also occur
in slower-moving, quiescent waterbodies, or in treatment facilities
such as stormwater ponds
 Sediment Transport in Rivers
Load: Any sediment that is transported due to river flow

Different Types of Load:

1.Suspended Load Rolling
2.Bed Load Traction
3.Solution Load Saltation
 Types of Sediment
• Clay Silt Sand
• Gravel (pebbles) Cobbles and Boulders
 River dynamics

A distinction is made between dynamics belonging to the

natural system and dynamic behaviour owing to human
interventions

Natural Changes
Natural changes in the riverine environment:
• variable discharge and
• variable sediment input
Change in discharge

Changes in discharge due to natural causes:

 Natural Hydrograph
 Increase or decrease of yearly flow
 Floods due to damming of valleys ( glaciers,
landslides)
 River capture
Effects:
a) Hydraulic effects: flooding of flood plains
b) Effects of bed topography: outer bend scour and
crossing, local constrictions, Tributeries
c) Effects on planform
Change in sediment
Changes in sediment input due to natural causes:
Landslides
Volcanic eruptions
River captures

Effects:

a) Bed rise and increase of longitudinal slope,

decreased depth
b) Change of river course
c) Change from meandering to braided river pattern
d) Blocking of navigation channel
e) Flooding
Human-induced Changes

Changes induced by mankind affect the river system both

hydraulically and morphologically. Qualitative description of
such effects can be interpreted by use of lane’s Balance
(QS::Qs D50 ) and S = mun

In the following a number of examples can be given for

several simple situations commonly encountered by
engineers. Each case is introduced by a sketch which shows
the physical situation prior to a selected natural or man-
induced changes. Below the sketch, some of the major local
effects, u/s effects, and d/s effects are identified.
Exampe1: Lowering of base level for a tributary stream

Fig. 2.15
Exampe2: Raising base level in main Channel

Fig. 2.16
Exampe3: Steep tributary draining into a flatter parent stream
Exampe4: Clear water release below a dam

Fig. 2.18
Exampe 5: Meander Cuttoffs (natural or man-made)
Exampe 6: Closure of Chute island
Exampe 7: Combinations
Exampe 7: Combinations
End of Lecture