Modelling and testing spatially distributed sediment budgets to relate erosion processes to sediment yields

Identifying the erosion processes contributing to increased basin fine sediment yield is important for reducing downstream impacts on aquatic ecosystems. However, erosion rates are spatially variable, and much eroded sediment is stored within river basins and not delivered downstream. A spatially distributed sediment budget model is described that assesses the primary sources (hillslope soil erosion, gully and riverbank erosion) and sinks (floodplain and reservoir deposition) of fine sediment for each link in a river network. The model performance is evaluated in a 17,000-km^2 basin in south-east Australia using measured suspended sediment yields from eight catchments within the basin, each 100-700km^2 in area. Spatial variations within the basin in yield and area-specific yield were reliably predicted. Observed yields and area-specific yields varied by 17-fold and 15-fold respectively between the catchments, while predictions were generally within a factor of 2 of observations. Model efficiency at predicting variations in area-specific yield was good outside forested areas (0.58), and performance was weakly sensitive to parameter values. Yields from forested areas were under-predicted, and reducing the predicted influence of riparian vegetation on bank erosion improved model performance in those areas. The model provided more accurate and higher resolution predictions than catchment area interpolation of measured yields from neighbouring river basins. The model is suitable for guiding the targeting of remediation measures within river basins to reduce downstream sediment yields.

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