Sediment characteristics in the San Antonio River Basin downstream from San Antonio, Texas, and at a site on the Guadalupe River downstream from the San Antonio River Basin, 1966-2013

Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5048
Prepared in cooperation with the San Antonio River Authority and the Texas Water Development Board
By: , and 

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Abstract

San Antonio and surrounding municipalities in Bexar County, Texas, are in a rapidly urbanizing region in the San Antonio River Basin. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio River Authority and the Texas Water Development Board, compiled historical sediment data collected between 1996 and 2004 and collected suspended-sediment and bedload samples over a range of hydrologic conditions in the San Antonio River Basin downstream from San Antonio, Tex., and at a site on the Guadalupe River downstream from the San Antonio River Basin during 2011–13. In the suspended-sediment samples collected during 2011–13, an average of about 94 percent of the particles was less than 0.0625 millimeter (silt and clay sized particles); the 50 samples for which a complete sediment-size analysis was performed indicated that an average of about 69 percent of the particles was less than 0.002 millimeter. In the bedload samples collected during 2011–13, an average of 51 percent of sediment particles was sand-sized particles in the 0.25–0.5 millimeter-size range. In general, the loads calculated from the samples indicated that bedload typically composed less than 1 percent of the total sediment load. A least-squares log-linear regression was developed between suspended-sediment concentration and instantaneous streamflow and was used to estimate daily mean suspended-sediment loads based on daily mean streamflow. The daily mean suspended-sediment loads computed for each of the sites indicated that during 2011–12, the majority of the suspended-sediment loads originated upstream from the streamflow-gaging station on the San Antonio River near Elmendorf, Tex. A linear regression relation was developed between turbidity and suspended-sediment concentration data collected at the San Antonio River near Elmendorf site because the high-resolution data can facilitate understanding of the complex suspended-sediment dynamics over time and throughout the river basin.

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Sediment characteristics in the San Antonio River Basin downstream from San Antonio, Texas, and at a site on the Guadalupe River downstream from the San Antonio River Basin, 1966-2013
Series title Scientific Investigations Report
Series number 2014-5048
DOI 10.3133/sir20145048
Year Published 2014
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Texas Water Science Center
Description Report: v, 33 p.; Appendixes 1-3
Country United States
State Texas
Datum North American Datum of 1983
Projection Universal Transverse Mercator, zone 14
Scale 24000
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
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