Regime Criteria for Alluvial Streams

Several criteria have been proposed in the past (prior to 1963) to predict the nature of the bed and water surfaces of an alluvial stream under different conditions. Most of these criteria have been based mainly on flume data and use the shear stress as the chief parameter. Present investigations reveal that these criteria do not predict the regimes of flow accurately enough for natural streams, as compared with those in flumes. Hence, instead of using the shear stress, a new criterion, using the individual values of hydraulic radius and slope, has been presented. It is based on all the available data from flumes and natural streams. This criterion can be used for prediction regimes, in problems involving resistances to flow, as well as sediment transport.