The five reaches described have similar characteristics in terms of floodplain and geomorphic units but are slightly different in terms of the details regarding their confinement, sinuosity, and slope. All of these reaches contained runs and riffles, which makes it easier for sediment to be transported throughout these reaches. Overall, the Diamond Fork River is a fairly straight river and not that sinuous so sediment is able to be transported easily. There are also not that many bars and point bars compared to a much more sinuous channel, which indicates that not that much sediment is being deposited and therefore, it is just moving down the river. Each of these reaches has different overall geomorphic geometry. What makes these riverscapes unique is their anthropogenic influence of encountering such large and low flow augmentation.

Reach A was described as a Gravel-Bed, Meandering Reach

Reach B was described as a Gravel-Bed, Partly Confined Margin-Controlled Reach

Reach C was described as a Gravel-Bed, Meandering Reach

Reach D was described as a Gravel-Bed, Partly Confined Margin-Controlled Reach

Reach E was described as a Gravel-Bed, Canyon

From visiting the Diamond Fork River, I know this is a gravel-bed river.

Anthropogenic Influence

The Diamond Fork River has gone through a considerable amount of anthropogenic influence being that it underwent a large and long flow augmentation for 90 years from 1915 until 2004. This greatly influences how we describe this riverscape as there were many pipes and tunnels built in this watershed that diverted the water from Strawberry Reservoir through Sixth Water Creek which then flowed into the Lower Diamond Fork River.

Cross Sections

Cross sections of Reach A and Reach E were drawn as these were the two most distinct different reaches. Reach A is categorized as meandering while Reach E is categorized as constricted. I wanted to show that both of these reaches have a gravel bed and visually demonstrate the confinement of these two different reaches.

Summary

This analysis looked at five different reaches in the Diamond Fork Watershed. These sites were selected based on my familiarity of having visited a few of these sites in the past and having familiarity of the Diamond Fork Watershed. The analysis here is quite simple and performed using Google Earth imagery, NAIP imagery, and a 0.5 m LiDAR DEM. All conclusions drawn were based on my knowledge and observations on the sites. A more in depth analysis of each reach could be performed with more imagery, field work, and tools. This analysis provided an initial look at reading different riverscapes and beginning to describe and differentiate them.

*Note: Oblique photos were not included in this analysis as the oblique photos I have of this river are not of the reaches selected for this analysis.