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Abstract
For many years humans have been altering stream systems to achieve one or more objectives of society. In
addition, increasing development and changes in land use practices have altered surface hydrology such that many of this nation's
creeks, streams and rivers have become unstable and are experiencing accelerated bank erosion, channel aggradation (deposition),
channel degradation (down-cutting), or a combination thereof. This loss of dynamic stability has resulted in habitat alteration
and destruction and a decline in aquatic species diversity and abundance. The most common approaches to stream bank erosion
problems have, until recently, utilized hard control. Concrete, riprap, gabion baskets, used tires and even car bodies have
been used in attempts to prevent bank erosion and control streams and rivers. In the last few years, however, there has been
an increasing interest in taking a fluvial geomorphic approach to riparian management and stream bank stabilization. Restoration
projects or channel alteration projects that attempt to emulate natural channels are currently in vogue. The current study
evaluated morphology and hydrology data at 48 sites in Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Texas to develop "Regional Curves" that
relate "bankfull" dimensions and "bankfull" discharge versus drainage area that may be used for natural channel design in
Oklahoma. A short discussion on fluvial geomorphology and stream classification is followed by a discussion on the significance
of regional curves and the methodology used to develop them. Curves showing the relationship of bankfull discharge, bankfull
area, bankfull width and bankfull depth versus drainage area are presented for the entire data set. The results of sorting
the data based on stream type are also presented, although this was not determined to be significant. The state was then
divided into different regions based on river basin, climate zone, mean annual precipitation, and ecoregion to determine if
the state should be split into more than one hydro-geographic province. The data indicated that the state should be divided
into two hydro-geomorphic provinces with the dividing line being roughly along I-35. Regional curves for each of the hydro-geomorphic
provinces are presented.
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