Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, July 2017

Dates

Start Date: 2017-07-20
End Date: 2017-07-23
Publication Date: 2019-05-13

Citation

Stevens, A.W., Gelfenbaum, G.R., Warrick, J.A., Miller, I.M., and Weiner, H.M., 2019, Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, July 2017: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9AJ8ALB.

Summary

Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million m3 of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta system to changes in sediment supply. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed an integrated research program aimed at understanding the ecosystem responses following dam removal. The research program included repeated surveys of beach topography, nearshore bathymetry, and surface sediment grain size to quantify changes in delta morphology and texture following [...]

Summary

Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million m³ of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta system to changes in sediment supply. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed an integrated research program aimed at understanding the ecosystem responses following dam removal. The research program included repeated surveys of beach topography, nearshore bathymetry, and surface sediment grain size to quantify changes in delta morphology and texture following the dam removals. For more information on the USGS role in the Elwha River Restoration Project, please visit this link.

This USGS data release presents data collected during surveys of nearshore bathymetry, beach topography and surface sediment grain size from the Elwha River delta, Washington. Survey operations were conducted between July 20 and July 23, 2017 (USGS Field Activity Number 2017-638-FA) by a team of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC), Washington State Department of Ecology (WA DOE), Washington Sea Grant, University of Washington, and Washington Conservation Corps (table 1).

Nearshore bathymetry data were collected using two personal watercraft (PWCs) and a kayak, each equipped with single-beam echosounders and survey-grade global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). Topography data were collected on foot with GNSS mounted on backpacks. Positions of the survey platforms were referenced to a GNSS base station placed on a nearby benchmark with known horizontal and vertical coordinates. Depths from the echosounders were computed using sound velocity profiles measured with a conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) sensor during the survey. A total of 187 km of nearshore bathymetric survey lines and 214 km of topographic survey lines were collected during the 4 days of survey operations. Environmental conditions were favorable resulting in excellent coverage of the beach and nearshore region. Surface sediment was sampled using a small ponar, or 'grab', sampler on July 20, 2017 from the R/V Frontier at a total of 80 locations in water depths between about 1 and 17 m around the delta. An additional 31 sediment samples were collected between July 21 and July 22, 2017 at low tide from intertidal locations on the delta. A handheld GNSS receiver was used to determine the locations of sediment samples. Figure 1 (top) shows the locations of bathymetric- and topographic-survey lines, sediment samples, CTD samples, and GNSS base stations. A continuous DEM surface of the primary survey area was produced from all available bathymetry and topography data using linear interpolation and a grid-spacing of 5 m. Figure 1 (bottom) shows the bathymetry and topography data for areas adjacent to the river mouth color-coded by elevation. An additional DEM with 1-m resolution grid-spacing was produced using linear interpolation for this smaller region.

Digital files containing the nearshore bathymetry data, beach topography data, derived DEMs, and grain-size data from this survey are available for download from the child item pages listed below.

Table 1. List of survey personnel
Person	Title	Affiliation
Jackson Currie	Electronics Technician	USGS PCMSC
Jonathan Warrick	Research Geologist	USGS PCMSC
Tim Elfers	Engineering Technician	USGS PCMSC
Andy Ritchie	Geomorphologist	USGS PCMSC
Andrew Stevens	Oceanographer	USGS PCMSC
Heather Weiner	Coastal Geomatics Specialist	WA DOE
Diana McCandless	Environmental Specialist	WA DOE
Amanda Hacking	Environmental Specialist	WA DOE
Hannah Drummond	Field Technician	WA DOE
Ian Miller	Coastal Hazards Specialist	Washington Sea Grant
Hannah Glover	Research Assistant	University of Washington
Emily Portillo	Field Assistant	Wash. Conservation Corps

Figure 1. Top: Map showing locations of bathymetric- and topographic-survey lines, sediment samples, CTD casts, and GNSS base stations from the July 2017 survey of the Elwha River delta, Washington. Bottom: Zoomed in detail of top map showing bathymetric- and topographic-survey lines color-coded by elevation.

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Contacts

Point of Contact :: PCMSC Science Data Coordinator
Originator :: Andrew Stevens, Guy R Gelfenbaum, Jonathan Warrick, Ian Miller, Heather Weiner
Metadata Contact :: PCMSC Science Data Coordinator
Publisher :: U.S. Geological Survey
USGS Mission Area :: Natural Hazards
SDC Data Owner :: Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Distributor :: U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase

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ew17_july_coverage.png		2.2 MB	image/png

Purpose

Data were obtained to assess the coastal geomorphic response following the removal of two dams on the Elwha River. These data are intended for science researchers, students, policy makers, and the general public. These data can be used with geographic information systems or other software to identify topographic and shallow-water bathymetric features.

Type	Scheme	Key
DOI	https://www.sciencebase.gov/vocab/category/item/identifier	doi:10.5066/P9AJ8ALB
USGS_ScienceCenter	https://www.sciencebase.gov/vocab/category/item/identifier	Coastal and Marine Geology Program
USGS_MissionArea	https://www.sciencebase.gov/vocab/category/item/identifier	Natural Hazards
USGS_keywords	https://www.sciencebase.gov/vocab/category/item/identifier	Geomorphology

Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, July 2017

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