The clogging of riverbeds: A review of the physical processes

Summary

Fine sediment represents an important part of the solid flux of rivers. Due to the size of these particles, they are often transported as suspended load. They gradually fill the pores of the substrate forming the hyporheic zone or cover the substrate by settling, resulting in the clogging of the riverbed. Clogging of the major part of the riverbed affects the habitat of invertebrates and reduces the reproduction success of spawning fish. This threat has been reported by a substantial amount of research in the past decades. Human infrastructure (such as reservoirs and hydropower plants), combined with artificial riverbanks and an increased flux of fine sediment in some catchments, has deeply changed the dynamic of rivers. A large number of studies have focused on the impact of clogging on a