Turbidity Current Observations in a Large Reservoir Following a Major Wildfire
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 145, Issue 8
Abstract
Turbidity currents are generated when denser river water plunges and flows along the bottom of a lake, reservoir, or ocean. The plunging and downstream movement are driven by density differences due to temperature and/or suspended sediment, and currents have been observed to move slowly over long distances. This study presents observations of multiple turbidity currents in a large reservoir in California, United States, during runoff events following a major wildfire in the upstream watershed. Several aspects of the currents are documented and discussed, including the conditions leading to plunging, the vertical and longitudinal structure of turbidity within the currents, the velocity of the currents, and the development of a muddy lake upstream from an old submerged dam in the reservoir.
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Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Modesto Irrigation District, Turlock Irrigation District, and US Geological Survey. The authors gratefully acknowledge field and laboratory assistance by Joan Lopez, Tara Morgan, Carrie Loschke, and Gordon Enas. The paper was improved substantially based on three anonymous reviews and a review by Blair Greimann. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US Government.
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Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 145 • Issue 8 • August 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 9, 2018
Accepted: Dec 21, 2018
Published online: May 23, 2019
Published in print: Aug 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Oct 23, 2019
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