U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005

Use of Sediment Rating Curves and Optical Backscatter Data to Characterize Sediment Transport in the Upper Yuba River Watershed, California, 2001–03

By Jennifer A. Curtis¹, Lorraine E. Flint¹, Charles N. Alpers¹, Scott A. Wright² and Noah P. Snyder³

U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005–5246 , published 2006.

Table 7

Annual suspended-sediment discharge for gaging stations on the Middle Yuba (MYG) and South Yuba (SYG) Rivers in the upper Yuba River watershed, California.

[GCLAS, Graphical Constituent Loading Analysis System, used for U.S. Geological Survey annual data reports (Rockwell and others, 2001; Smithson and others, 2002; Friebel and others, 2003). Percent difference is the difference between the GCLAS and rating curve estimates divided by the GCLAS estimate. Rating curve regression equations listed in table 4 for sample periods]

Water year	Sampling period	Annual suspended-sediment discharge		Percent difference
		Estimated using GCLAS (tons)	Estimated using rating curves (tons)
South Yuba River (SYG, Station ID 11417500)
2001	11/08/00–09/30/01	1,500	690	54
2002	10/01/01-06/30/02	3,400	4,700	-38
2003	11/01/02-05/31/02	7,700	7,500	3
Middle Yuba River (MYG, Station ID 11410000)
2001	11/08/00–09/30/01	140	140	0
2002	10/01/01-06/30/02	480	890	-85
2003	11/01/02-05/31/02	2,400	1,900	21