Saltcedar influence on sedimentation in the Brazos River

W. H. Blackburn; R. W. Knight; J. L. Schuster

ABSTRACT:

Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) infestations along the Brazos River between Seymour. Taus. and the river's confluence with the Clear Fork occupied 57 percent of the original ricer channel by 1979. As saltcedar established on sandbars and channel edges, the plants stabilized the channel sediments causing deposition. By 1979, 3 meters of sediment had been deposited in the saltcedur- infested channel, and the river channel's width had been reduced by 89.6 meters. The presence of saltcedar and subsequent sediment deposition and channel closure in the Brazos River effectively reduced sedimentation of Possum Kingdom Lake. However, the saltcedar invasion resulted in higher flood stages for similar flow volumes. Thus enlarging the area inundated by flood waters.

Footnotes

W. H. Blackburn is a professor of watershed management. R. W. Knight is an assistant professor of watershed management, and J. L. Schuster is a professor of range management and head of the Range Science Department. Texas A&M University, College Station. 77843. This report is published with approval of the director. Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, as TA-17176. The financial support of the Brazos River Authority is acknowledged.
Copyright 1982 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society

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