Stream development in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, USA

• Published in: Arctic and Alpine Research
• Main Authors: Sidle, Roy C, Milner, A M
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: University of Colorado 1989
• Subjects: FoR 0406 (Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience); channel condition; chronosequence; fish habitat; glacial outwash deposit; hydraulics; riparian vegetation; sediment supply; stream development; Alaska; Glacier Bay National Park; Berg Bay; Glacier Bay; glacier
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2307/1551645

The effects of hydraulics, sediment supply, channel condition, and riparian vegetation on stream development were examined in a chronosequence of five streams in Glacier Bay National Park. The youngest stream, Wolf Point Creek (deglaciated around 1955), is fed by a remnant glacier and had the highest suspended sediment concentrations of all streams (103-111mg litre-1 at baseflows). The study reach at Nunatak Creek (deglaciated around 1950) was actively downcutting through the fine glacial outwash deposits creating a deeper thalweg and redepositing some material near channel margins. About 100yr after deglaciation (Ice Valley stream), woody riparian vegetation begins to stabilize streambanks and becomes established on gravel bars where it provides potential sites for incipient woody debris dams. Berg Bay South (deglaciated around 1830) appears to be near equilibrium with respect to sediment supply and transport. -from Authors