Detection of Conveyance Changes in St. Clair River Using Historical Water-Level and Flow Data with Inverse One-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Modeling

Abstract: Trends in gauge pair water-level fall and conveyance ratios were found to show changes in conveyance in the St. Clair R. are likely occurring. Inverse 1-D hydrodynamic modeling was used to estimate a partial annual series of effective channel-roughness parameters in reaches forming the St. Clair River for 21 years when flow measurements were sufficient to support parameter estimation. Changes in estimated effective channel roughness with time were interpreted as systematic changes in conveyances in five reaches. Time-varying parameter estimates were used to simulate flow and compute changes in conveyance with time, which showed conveyance in the St. Clair River increased about 10% from 1962 to 2002, and decreased about 4.1% from 2003 to 2007, so that conveyance was about 5.9% higher in 2007 than in 1962.

Viewable Data:: St. Clair River Channel Bathymetry; Upper St. Clair River Bathymetry; St. Clair River Discharge Measurements (1962-2006)

Models:: HEC-RAS Software (Link); St. Clair Inverse HEC-RAS Model Files; Universal Parameter Estimation Code (UCODE) Software (Link)

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Supporting Content (Show)

Questions We Asked: - What's causing the declining head difference?; - Has St. Clair conveyance changed, and if so, what were the causes?

Key Findings: - St. Clair River has changed, accounting for 7-14 cm of total head decline; - Evidence suggests St. Clair erosion is not ongoing, but causes remain unknown