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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #161045
Title: MODELING OF EROSION FROM HEADCUT DEVELOPMENT IN CHANNELIZED FLOW

Author
item Hanson, Gregory
item ROBINSON, KERRY - USDA-NRCS
item Cook, Kevin
item Temple, Darrel

Submitted to: International Hydro-Science & Engineering International Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2004
Publication Date: 6/1/2004
Citation: Hanson, G.J., Robinson, K.M., Cook, K.R., Temple, D.M. 2004. Modeling of erosion from headcut development in channelized flow. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Hydro-Science and -Engineering. Advances in Hydro-Science and -Engineering, May 30 - June 4, 2004, Brisbane, Australia. 2004 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary: A headcut is an erosion feature that is a vertical or near-vertical drop or change in elevation of a stream channel, rill, or gully. Headcut formation and movement is important to landscape evolution, and erosion of engineered structures such as earthen spillways. The focus of this paper is on headcut migration models, and the material resistance parameters included in these models. The results of 14 headcut migration flume tests were used to determine and compare water flow parameters and soil material parameters of four headcut migration models. The rate of headcut movement for the 14 tests was observed to vary by over a 100 times. The observed water flow parameters from the 14 tests were observed to have little variation. The rate of headcut movement for these tests was attributed to material resistance. Relationships between the soil erodibility and the material resistance parameters of the headcut migration models were developed based on the 14 flume tests. These relationships will be useful to headcut migration modelers.

Technical Abstract: A headcut is an erosion feature that is a vertical or near-vertical drop or change in elevation of a stream channel, rill, or gully. Understanding how this erosion feature forms and moves is important to landscape evolution and erosion. The focus of this paper is on headcut migration models, and the material resistance parameters included in these models. The results of 14 headcut migration flume tests (seven stratified and seven homogeneous) were used to determine and compare water flow parameters and material resistance parameters of headcut migration models. The observed hydraulic attack parameters from the 14 tests had little variation while the headcut migration rate varied more than two orders of magnitude. The headcut migration rate for these tests is attributed to material resistance. Relationships between the soil erodibility and the material resistance parameters of the headcut migration models were developed based on the 14 flume tests. These relationships will be useful to headcut migration modelers.