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Bank erosion in a Danish lowland stream system

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Abstract

This paper deals with quantification of bank erosion in an entire lowland stream system and its contribution to suspended sediment export from the stream basin. Bank erosion was measured at 33 stream reaches over a one-year period and suspended sediment transport concomitantly determined near the outlet of the stream system. There was considerable spatial variation in bank erosion within the stream system, erosion being most severe on the unprotected lower parts of the banks. No relationship could be established between stream bank erosion and land use, although erosion was lower in forest streams than in streams on land used for grazing cattle. For the stream system as a whole the erosion rate was 11 mm y-1 for each bank, or 0.020 m3 per m stream reach. This corresponds to a total of 2000 tonnes bank material, of which the <63 μm fraction accounted for 20–30% (no sample pre-treatment). In comparison, total annual export of suspended sediment from the stream system amounted to 675 tonnes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Streams and Riparian Areas, National Environmental Research Institute, Vejlsøvej 25, DK-8600, Silkeborg, Denmark

    A. Laubel, L. M. Svendsen, B. Kronvang & S. E. Larsen

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  1. A. Laubel
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  2. L. M. Svendsen
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  3. B. Kronvang
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  4. S. E. Larsen
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Laubel, A., Svendsen, L.M., Kronvang, B. et al. Bank erosion in a Danish lowland stream system. Hydrobiologia 410, 279–285 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003854619451

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