Sediment Transport in the 

Western Tributaries of the 

Sacramento River, 

California

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1798-J

Prepared in cooperation with the 

California Department of 

Water Resources
Sediment Transport in the 

Western Tributaries of the 

Sacramento River, 

California

By B. L. JONES, N. L. HAWLEY, and J. R. CRIPPEN

SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1798-J

Prepared in cooperation with the 

California Department of 

Water Resources

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1972
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

V. E. McKelvey, Director

Library of Congress catalog-card No. 72-600254

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office

Washington, D.C. 20402 Price 25 cents (paper cover)

Stock Number 2401-2163
CONTENTS

Page

Abstract_________________________________________________________ Jl

Introduction._____________________________________________________ 1

Description of the area__--__--_________-___-_-_______---___--___-__ 2

Climate._____________________________________________________ 5

Vegetation and soils__________________________________________ 6

Stream development__.________________________________________ 7

Streamflow.__________________________________________________ 7

Description of individual streams___________________-__-______-__ 8

Clear Creek_______________________________ 8

Cottonwood Creek_______________________________________ 8

Red Bank Creek____________________________ 9

Elder Creek_________________________________ 9

Thomes Creek__________________________________________ 9

Stony Creek______________________________ 10

Stone Corral Creek______________________________ 10

Cache Creek__ _ _____ _____________________ 10

Putah Creek_______________________________ 11

Fluvial sediment transport________________________________________ 11

Computation of sediment transport and yield.____________________ 12

Suspended-sediment discharge__________________ ____ 13

Suspended-sediment yield_________________________________ 15

Bedload discharge._____________________________ 19

Volume of deposited sediment____________________________ 21

Discussion and conclusions____________________________________ 24

Selected references_____________________ ____ ___ 26

ILLUSTKATIONS

FIGTTBE 1. Map of study area showing geologic provinces ____________ J3

2. Suspended-sediment transport curve, Clear Creek at French

Gulch___-___ __----_ _---------- - _ - 14

3. Flow-duration curve, Thomes Creek at Paskenta, October

1940-September 1965________________________ 15

4. Map showing average annual yield of suspended sediment in the

study area_________-_-__________- .__ _____ 18

5. Transport curves of bedload discharge at selected measuring

sites.______________________________________________ 21

m
IV CONTENTS

TABLES

Page 

TABLE 1. Sampling points and precipitation and runoff in the study area. _ J4

2. Example of computation of mean annual suspended-sediment

discharge--_____________________ ____ 16

3. Mean annual transport and yield of suspended sediment- ___. 17

4. Annual discharge of sediment as bedload in the study area____ 22

5. Sediment measured at sampling sites: particle size, unit weight,

and volume after deposition _--______-___-_-_---_--____ 23
SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN THE WESTERN

TRIBUTARIES OF THE SACRAMENTO

RIVER, CALIFORNIA

By B. L. JONES, N. L. HAWLEY, and J. R. CRIPPEN

ABSTRACT

The western tributaries of the Sacramento River, from Clear Creek in the 

north to Putah Creek in the south, drain an area of more than 7,000 square miles. 

Major impoundments in the area at present have a combined storage capacity of 

about 2.5 million acre-feet, and proposed impoundments would add 3-7.5 million 

more acre-feet of storage. About 960,000 acre-feet of water is imported to the 

region from the Trinity River annually, and plans call for the annual importation in the future of 700,000-950,000 acre-feet from the Eel River basin. Most 

of this imported water will be conveyed to areas of water deficiency south of the 

study area.

The quantity of sediment carried by streams and deposited by them may 

affect both the quality of water and the operational regimen of reservoirs. 

Because of these possible problems, data on sediment transport have been 

analyzed to provide planners and engineers with estimates of the quantities 

involved in the fluvial sediment processes of the study area.

In the basins studied, average annual yields of suspended sediment range 

from less than 100 tons to more than 3,000 tons per square mile, and bedloads 

range from 2 to 7 percent of the total sediment discharge. Suspended-sediment 

yield shows a general correlation with geologic province the highest yields are 

from the basins draining the Coast Ranges province, the lowest yields from the 

Great Valley of California province, and the intermediate yields from the 

Klamath Mountains province.

Total average annual yield of suspended sediment from the study area is 

probably about 4.7 million tons. A substantial part of this, perhaps 30 percent, 

is retained by entrapment as deposits in lakes and reservoirs within the region ; 

the remaining 70 percent is transported from the regions, most of it during 

relatively short periods of high streamflow.

INTRODUCTION

The western tributaries of the Sacramento Biver yield, large quantities of good-quality water. Extensive development of the area's water 

resources is either underway or planned (California Department of 

Water Resources, 1970) to control floods and provide water for irrigation, recreation, municipal supply, and wildlife enhancement. Each

Jl
J2 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

development plan includes several impoundments, as well as other 

engineering works that will affect the regimen of streamflow. The 

western tributaries are the subject of this report because the quantity 

of available data together with the need for information concerning 

the region make a separate report appropriate. Sediment yield from 

the eastern tributaries.is relatively low, and sediment from that part 

of the basin has therefore posed fewer problems. The limited data from 

the eastern tributaries have not been analyzed.

This report summarizes and analyzes much of the available sediment 

data gathered from the western tributaries. Hopefully, the information 

provided here will be valuable in the design and operation of the waterdevelopment system. The sediment-transport characteristics of streams 

may be an important factor in the selection of reservoir sites. The deposition of large quantities of sediment can shorten the useful life 

of a reservoir, and fine sediment particles remaining in suspension in 

a reservoir can cause persistent turbidity downstream. The creation of 

large mainstream reservoirs can bring about pronounced changes in 

downstream fluvial processes. For example, the trapping of coarse sediment by a reservoir may leave the unladen stream with a renewed 

ability to erode, and thereby result in degradation of the downstream 

channel; on the other hand, the reduction of floodflows may reduce 

the gross competency of the stream and cause aggradation downstream.

A sediment-sampling program has been conducted by the Water 

Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with 

Federal, State, and local agencies, as part of the Survey's appraisal 

of the Nation's resources. Data collected in the course of this program 

were used to develop estimates of the long-term transport of suspended 

sediment from the basins in the study area.

This study was conducted by personnel of the Water Resources 

Division, U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the California 

Department of Water Resources. The work was under the direct supervision of Willard W. Dean, chief of the Sacramento subdistrict, and 

under the general supervision of R. Stanley Lord, district chief in 

charge of water-resources investigations in California.

DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA

The study area includes the basins of the western tributaries of 

the Sacramento River from Putah Creek in the south to Clear Creek 

in the north. The area, about 7,070 square miles, is shown in figure 1. 

The streams drain the east flank of the Coast Ranges and the southeastern Klamath Mountains and are tributary to the Sacramento 

River, either directly or by way of one of the floodways which parallel 

the river. Data used in this report were collected at the sites listed in 

table 1; locations of the sites are shown in figure 1.
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO RIVEK J3

EXPLANATION

Boundary of study area.

Major drainage divide

Boundary of geologic provinces

4535

Sediment-measuring site

Number corresponds to that in

table 1

FIGURE 1. Map of study area showing geologic provinces. Geologic provinces from Jenkins

(1943).

The area includes parts of three geologic provinces (fig. 1) as defined 

by Jenkins (1943). The headwaters of all streams discussed in this 

report are in the Klamath Mountains province or the Coast Ranges
J4 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

province. The lower reaches of all streams in the study area traverse 

the dissected uplands and alluviated plain of the Great Valley of California province. Excellent discussions of the geological aspects of each 

province may be found in Bailey (1966).

TABLE 1. Sampling points and precipitation and runoff in the study area

Station 

No. 

(fig. 1)

11-3710......

11-3744. ....

11-3758.2.... 

11-3760......

11-3788.6.... 

11-3795.. _ .

11-3820 

11-3880......

11-3906.72... 

11-4515......

11-4517.2... .

11-4517.6... . 

11-4520..... 

11-4525..... 

11-4535-....

Station

Clear Creek at 

French Gulch. 

Middle Fork 

Cotton-wood 

Creek near Ono. 

South Fork, 

Cottonwood 

Creek near 

Cottonwood. 

Cottonwood Creek 

near Cottonwood. 

Bed Bank Creek 

near Red Bluff. 

Elder Creek near 

Paskenta. 

Thomes Creek at 

Paskenta. 

Stony Creek at 

Black Butte damsite near Orland.< 

Stone Corral Creek 

near Sites. 

North Fork Cache, 

Creek near Lower 

Lake. 

Bear Creek near 

Rumsey. 

Cache Creek above 

Rumsey. 

Cache Creek near 

Capay. 

Cache Creek at 

Yolo. 

Putah Creek near 

Guenoc. 

East Park 

Reservoir. 8 

Stony Gorge 

Reservoir. 6

Drainage area 

(sq. mi).

115

249

217

922 

109 

92.9 

194 

741

38.2 

197

100 

955 

1,044 

1,139 

113 

102 

301

Mean annual ' ] 

runoff a

(Acre- (Inches) t: 

feet) (ii

145,000 

165,000

120,000

586,000 

38,000 

68,000 

3209,000 

400,000

3,500 

3145,600

26,500 

(5) -

(s) -

(5) -

» 147, 700 

61,100 

166, 000

24 

12

10

12 

6.5 

14 

20 

10

1.7 

14

5.0

25 

11 

10

Mean I 

nnual a 

recipi- ce 

ation oi 

iches) ci 

<

59 

40

36

37 

22 

33 

49 

30

19 

37

24 

34 ...

32 ...

30 

44 

27 

29

tunoff Period of available 

s per- record (water years)

'prepita- 

;ion

41 

30

28

32 

30 

42 

41 

33

9

38

21

57 

41 ..

34 .

Streamflow

1951-68 

1957-68

1963-68

1941-68 

1965-67 

1949-68 

1921-68 

1952-62

1959-64, 

1966-68 

1931-68

1959-67 

1960-67 

1943-68 

1904-68 

1931-68

Sediment

1956-67 

1962-68

1963-68

* 1956-67 

1964-68 

1963-68 

2 1962-68 

1957-62

1965-68 

1957-66

1960-67 

* 1960-67 

1959-62 

* 1958-67 

1962-68

1 Observed or estimated for 1941-65.

2 Daily records of sediment transport were gathered at these stations for some or all of the record period.

s Discharge of Thomes Creek for 47 years, 196.900 acre-feet; of North Fork Cache Creek for 37 years, 136,800 

acre feet; and of Putah Creek for 39 years, 149,100 acre-feet.

* Station continued with different name after dam was built.

« Flow of Cache Creek is affected by the storage and release regimen of Clear Lake (drainage area, 528 

square miles) and by evaporation from the lake.

e From Knott and Dunnam (1969). Data referenced to long-term periods with streamflow regimens similar 

to that of 1941-65.

Major impoundments in the study area are Lake Berryessa, Clear 

Lake (a natural lake with controlled storage), East Park Eeservoir, 

Stony Gorge Eeservoir, Black Butte Reservoir, and Whiskeytown 

Reservoir. The total storage capacity of these impoundments is approximately 2,500,000 acre-feet. Impoundments that have been proposed in the study area would add 3,000,000-7,500,000 acre-feet of 

storage. Water from Trinity River is presently imported to Whiskey-
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO RIVER J5

town Eeservoir at an average rate of 960,000 acre-feet per year. Development plans for the future envision importation of 700,000-950,000 

acre-feet per year from the Eel Eiver basin to the Central Valley. 

Detailed information on water development in the study area may be 

found in two reports of the California Department of Water Resources 

(1969, 1970). Also pertinent is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

report on Cotton wood Creek (1970, pis. I and III). Construction of 

Dutch Gulch Eeservoir (1,100,000 acre-feet) on Cotton wood Creek 

and Tehama Eeservoir (900,000 acre-feet) on South Fork Cottonwood 

Creek was authorized by Congress in December 1970.

CLIMATE

In general the entire study area has cool wet winters and hot dry 

summers. More than 80 percent of all precipitation occurs during the 

6 months from November to April, and it is mostly from general 

region wide storms. Prevailing winds are from the west. In the winter, 

when the land is cooler than the ocean, the moisture-laden airmass 

produces rain or snow as it moves inland; in the summer, when the 

land is warmer than the ocean, the moisture-laden airmass becomes 

relatively dry as it moves inland, so summertime precipitation is very 

light or entirely absent.

Altitude and latitude modify the quantity of precipitation that may 

occur. At the highest altitudes in the northern part of the study area, 

precipitation may exceed 100 inches in some years; at the lowest altitudes in the southern part of the area, precipitation in dry years may be 

less than 10 inches. Annual precipitation may vary greatly from one 

year to another at all locations. Mean annual precipitation for the 

basins of the study area, based upon isohyetal maps prepared by the 

California Department of Water resources (1966, pi. 1), is shown in 

table 1.

Temperatures in the study site are equable. The accompanying table 

shows representative temperatures at several selected sites.

Daily average temperature in ° F.

Weather station t July 1968 January 1968

Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum

Whiskeytown Reservoir ___ __.

Red Bluff Airport _______

Lake Berryessa_ _____ __

Sacramento Airport _ _ _ _____

97.3

07 4

97.2

93.6

94.5

64.0

64.7

60.7

60.8

57.9

52.8

53. 3

54. 1

55.5

52.2

33. 1

32.9

30.4

34.8

34.5

i From the annual summary of the Environmental Science Services Administration. Sacramento Airport is about 50 miles east of Lake Berryessa.

469-643 72-
J6 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

The seasonal range is influenced by the upwind proximity of the 

Pacific Ocean, therefore the extremes vary less than those that occur 

farther inland where the continental rather than the maritime regimen is dominant. As the table shows, the maximums and niinimums 

in the study region do not vary greatly from place to place. The 

maximum temperatures shown for Sacramento (which has the lowest altitude and also is the southernmost of the stations listed) are 

not as high as one might expect; probably the cooling is caused by 

the inflow of maritime air entering through the wind gap formed by 

San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

VEGETATION AND SOILS

The low level bottom lands of the Sacramento Valley and of many 

areas along the lower reaches of some tributary streams have deep 

fertile alluvial soils. Good crops of grain are grown by dry-farming 

methods, and with irrigation a wide variety of vegetables and fruits 

is grown. The gentle slopes and good cover allow only small losses 

of soil indeed, the greatest sediment problem in many areas may be 

the addition of soil layers by deposition during flood periods.

Soils on the steep slopes and ridges of the foothill areas are generally shallow and infertile, contrasting sharply with the deep, rich 

soils of the valley bottom. The semiarid foothills support only brush, 

scrub oak, or grass. During the summer months the dry grass provides poor soil cover; then, in the wet months of winter and spring 

new growth occurs.

In the mountains, land slopes are generally steep and soil is likely 

to be shallow and infertile. Despite this, and probably because of 

favorable humidity that is more prevalent at high altitudes than at 

low altitudes, stands of timber grow on many north-facing slopes that 

are higher than 2,000 feet. In mountain valleys that have alluvial soil 

and on slopes that are not steep, there is likely to be well-established 

herbage and brush that provide some protection against erosion. In 

general, however, loose soil in the mountains erodes rapidly.

Erosion rates in the study region often are influenced by the distinct 

separation of wet and dry seasons. During the dry season, annual 

grasses die, soils harden and crack, and a layer of loose dust may 

develop. If the onset of the wet season is a period of gentle rain and 

moderate temperatures, considerable grass cover may develop and 

later periods of more intense rainfall may cause little erosion. If, 

on the other hand, the first storms of the season are protracted and 

intense or if low temperatures discourage the growth of cover, erosion 

may be severe. Deep gullies may be cut, and there may be mudflows
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO RIVER J7

or landslides on the steeper slopes. Poor cover conditions produced by 

the wet-dry cycle may, in areas having impermeable soils and easily 

erodible rocks, produce badland topography such as exists in parts 

of the Cache Creek, Thomes Creek, and Grindstone Creek basins.

Some of the activities of man may affect the soil and the vegetation, 

and thus affect erosion rates. Logging, farming, grazing, roadbuilding, and mining are common activities which may change cover conditions, disturb or compact the soil, and make large quantities of loose 

soil or rock available for erosion and transport.

STREAM DEVELOPMENT

Some of the study streams such as upper Stony Creek, North Fork 

Cache Creek, and Bear Creek follow fault zones or other linear structural features; thus they parallel the north-south trend of ridges for 

part of their length and exhibit a crude trellis drainage pattern. To 

the north and west, shorter tributaries draining highlands that have 

more homogeneous lithology show modified dendritic patterns.

Streams draining the east flanks of the Coast Ranges flow first 

in bedrock channels in the high mountains, then in the foothills 

through narrow valleys with shallow coarse alluvial fill, over broad 

alluviated valleys of the dissected uplands, onto the deep alluvium of 

the low plains or fans, and finally into the river flood plains and 

channels (Poland and Evenson, 1966). The low-lying alluvial plains 

and fans are flat or gently undulant and were formed during the 

present depositional cycle. The Sacramento River and the lower 

reaches of some tributaries have formed level flood plains or overflow 

lands on which parallel flowage routes form during flood periods. 

Most streams south of Stony Creek terminate as distinct entities in 

these overflow lands and do not have discernible channels that enter 

the low-flow channel of the Sacramento River.

STREAMFLOW

The considerable variation of precipitation that occurs in the study 

basins is reflected in the runoff characteristics. Table 1 shows the wide 

variation of average annual streamflow from basin to basin and 

the highly variable relation between runoff and precipitation. Runoff ranges from 9 to 57 percent of precipitation, indicating that there 

are vast differences among the basins in precipitation, evapotranspiration, permeability of soils, and channel and aquifer storage.

The quantity of sediment transported from a region in a given year 

is a function of many variables, but dominant among them is streamflow. Streamflow throughout the region of this study varies greatly
J8 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

from year to year, and therefore the yearly sediment yield varies 

greatly. By estimating the average annual yield, we are implying 

that the value arrived at is typical for a long period of time, not for 

a specific short period that may or may not be representative of the 

long term. We must therefore insure that the period used is typical 

for the long term, and we can do this by using streamflow data from 

(or adjusted to) a period of time when the flow regimen closely resembles the pattern exhibited by the longest records available. Inspection of the data shows that this can be done in the area described in 

this study by adopting the 25-year period, 1941-65, as a base period. 

The streamflow data are separated into annual periods or water years 

that end September 30 of the indicated calendar year.

DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL STREAMS

CLEAR CREEK

Clear Creek rises in the Klamath Mountains province at an altitude 

of about 5,250 feet, flows southwestward for about 20 miles, then 

southeastward to the community of French Gulch, and thence to 

Whiskeytowii Reservoir. From Whiskeytown Reservoir (drainage 

area, 200 square miles), Clear Creek flows southeastward to its junction with the Sacramento Eiver about 6 miles south of Bedding. The 

length of Clear Creek is about 44 miles; from source to mouth its 

fall is 4,800 feet, with 3,000 feet of the fall occurring in the first 

6 miles. Total drainage area is 250 square miles. Suspended sediment 

was sampled at the gaging station Clear Creek at French Gulch (sta. 

11-3710). Storage of water in Whiskeytown Reservoir (an artificial impoundment with capacity of 241,000 acre-feet) began in May 

1963.

COTTONWOOD CREEK

Cottonwood Creek proper is formed by the joining of its Middle 

Fork (the largest tributary) with its North Fork. Suspended-sediment 

data from the main basin and from two subbasins have been used 

in this report.

Middle Fork Cottonwood Creek rises on the east slope of the Coast 

Ranges at an altitude of about 4,000 feet, flows eastward for about 

30 miles, and then joins the North Fork. The sampling station on 

Middle Fork (11-3744) is near the community of Ono, about 0.4 mile 

upstream from the confluence, and is at an altitude of 550 feet.

South Fork Cottonwood Creek rises at about 5,000 feet altitude 

and is about 45 miles long. It joins Cottonwood Creek some 10 miles 

downstream (eastward) from the confluence of the Middle and North
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO RIVER J9

Forks. The South Fork is sampled at station 11-3758.2, about 10 miles 

upstream from its junction with Cottonwood Creek and at about 

525 feet in altitude.

The main basin is sampled at station 11-3760, Cottonwood Creek 

near Cottonwood, about 2 miles upstream from the mouth and 15 

miles downstream from the confluence of the Forks. The altitude 

of the gage is about 364 feet. The drainage area at the mouth is about 

940 square miles.

The authorized Dutch Gulch Dam and Reservoir (1,100,000 acrefeet) would be located on Cottonwood Creek about 11 miles west of the 

town of Cottonwood. The authorized Tehama Dam and Reservoir 

(900,000 acre-feet) would be located on South Fork Cottonwood Creek 

about 9 miles southwest of the town of Cottonwood.

RED BANK GREEK

The headwaters of Red Bank Creek are in the Klamath Mountains 

and on the east slope of the Coast Ranges, at an altitude of about 

4,000 feet. The creek flows southeastward for about 20 miles to join 

the Sacramento River 2 miles downstream from Red Bluff. From 

origin to mouth, Red Bank Creek falls about 3,500 feet. The gaging 

station and sampling site (sta. 11-3788.6) is about 3 miles south of 

Red Bluff. Total drainage area of the basin is about 115 square miles.

ELDER GREEK

Elder Creek rises on the eastern slope of the Coast Ranges at an 

altitude of about 7,000 feet. The stream flows eastward for about 40 

miles to its confluence with the Sacramento River. Nearly 4,690 feet 

of the total 6,400 feet of fall from headwaters to mouth occurs in the 

first 8 miles of the channel length and about 1,000 feet of fall occurs 

in the next 10 miles. Sediment samples are collected near Paskenta 

(sta. 11-3795). Total drainage area of the basin is about 140 square 

miles.

THOMES CREEK

Thomes Creek originates on the east slope of the Coast Ranges at 

an altitude of more than 6,000 feet. It flows south for about 22 miles, 

follows a northeasterly direction for 35 miles, and then joins the 

Sacramento River. The total fall of the main stem is 5,800 feet, and 

the total drainage area of the basin is about 300 square miles. Many 

small tributaries, some unnamed, flow into the main stem. Sediment 

samples are collected at the Paskenta gage (Thomes Creek at Paskenta, 

sta. 11-3820).
J10 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

STONY CREEK

Stony Creek originates in the Coast Kanges northeast of Clear Lake 

at an altitude of more than 6,000 feet. The stream is about 90 miles 

long. There are three large reservoirs in the basin: East Park, Stony 

Gorge, and Black Butte. Black Butte Keservoir is the largest, newest, 

and farthest downstream of the three; it was completed in 1963 and 

has storage capacity of roughly one-third of the average annual flow 

of the creek. The drainage area at the outlet of Black Butte Reservoir 

is 740 square miles, and the total drainage area of the Stony Creek 

basin is 778 square miles.

Principal tributaries to Stony Creek are Little Stony Creek, draining the southwestern part of the basin, Briscoe Creek and Grindstone 

Creek in the west-central part, and North Fork Stony Creek, draining the northern part of the basin. Grindstone Creek is of special 

interest because of plans to use a part of the channel to convey water 

from the Eel River basin into a storage complex in the Sacramento 

River basin (California Department of Water Resources, 1970).

Sediment information for the Stony Creek basin was derived from 

several sources. Knott and Dunnam (1969) reported sediment accumulations in Stony Gorge and East Park Reservoirs and computed the 

mean annual sediment yield, using suspended-sediment samples collected from Stony Creek at Black Butte damsite (sta. 11-3880). Sediment samples also were collected at a station on Grindstone Creek 

near Elk Creek and just upstream from Stony Creek; however, data 

from that station were not easily adjusted to the base period used 

and therefore are not shown separately.

STONE CORRAL CREEK

Stone Corral, Creek rises in the foothills east of East Park Reservoir 

at an altitude of about 1,000 feet. It flows eastward in a very irregular 

course into the floodway of the Sacramento River. Streamflow occurs 

only during the rainy season. Sediment samples were collected near 

Sites (sta. 11-3906.72), about 16 miles upstream from the mouth. The 

drainage area at the gage is 38.2 square miles.

Stone Corral Creek in its lower reaches serves as a collector of the 

flow of several west-side tributaries. These channels are not distinctly 

separated from each other in the low, flat overflow plain of the Sacramento River valley so the actual drainage area of Stone Corral Creek 

at its mouth has not been determined.

CACHE CREEK

Cache Creek drains a 1,290-square-mile basin in the Coast Ranges 

and Great Valley of California; this basin is mostly east and southeast
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO RIVER Jll

of Clear Lake. Cache Creek proper originates as the outlet of Clear 

Lake. The drainage area tributary to the lake is 458 square miles and 

the surface area of the lake is about 70 square miles. The length of 

Cache Creek, from Clear Lake outlet to its mouth at Yolo Bypass, is 

about 80 miles. The principal tributaries are North Fork Cache Creek 

and Bear Creek.

Water is diverted from Cache Creek for irrigation at many points 

near and downstream from the community of Capay, where the stream 

debouches onto the flat valley floor. Here in the lower reaches of 

Cache Creek the sediment settles over a wide area forming a large 

alluvial fan (Lustig and Busch, 1967).

Sediment samples were collected at five stations: North Fork Cache 

Creek near Lower Lake (11-4515), Bear Creek near Rumsey (11- 

4517.2), Cache Creek above Rumsey (11-4517.6), Cache Creek near 

Capay (11-4520), and Cache Creek at Yolo (11-4525).

PUTAH CREEK

Putah Creek originates in the Coast Ranges south of Clear Lake at 

an altitude of about 4,000 feet. The length of the main stream is about 

80 miles, and the total basin area is 810 square miles. Of this, about 244 

square miles is downstream from Lake Berryessa.

The topography of the Putah Creek basin upstream from Lake 

Berryessa is extremely rugged, with poor thin soil; only the alluvium 

of the valley floor is tilled. In contrast, the lower part of the basin is 

characterized by brush-covered foothills and farther downstream by 

a large area of rich farmland on the alluvium of the Sacramento 

Valley.

Sediment samples are collected at the station near Guenoc (11- 

4535), upstream from Lake Berryessa.

FLUVIAL SEDIMENT TRANSPORT

Fluvial sediment is material that is suspended, transported, or deposited by water. Disintegrated rocks of the earth's crust are the source 

of most sediment. Gully and sheet erosion of soil is the dominant upland source of fine sediment; other sources include reworked older 

deposits, landslides and mudslides, bank and channel cutting, and 

direct contribution of sediment to the stream by wind, by volcanic 

action, or by precipitation as dust particles.

Fluvial-sediment discharge generally can be categorized in terms 

of the mode of transport. Suspended sediment is that part of the 

stream sediment load that moves essentially as part of the streamflow; 

it is maintained in suspension by the upward components of turbulent
J12 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

flow or by colloidal suspension. Bedload is that part of the sediment 

load that moves by rolling, skipping, and sliding along or very near 

the streambed.

Suspended sediment makes up only a small part of the flow of 

streams; however, the total quantity of streamflow is so great that the 

annual load of suspended sediment is large. The quantity of sediment 

moved as bedload, on the other hand, is relatively small generally 

much less than the total load of suspended sediment.

Bedload depends in part on the size of the bed material and in part 

on variables such as depth, slope, and velocity of flow. Suspendedsediment discharge is closely related to the availability of fine sediment and to the pattern of runoff from upland areas; bedload discharge is closely related to the size of bed material and to stream 

hydraulics. Suspended-sediment discharge is usually determined by 

direct stream sampling. Bedload discharge is usually computed by 

one of several procedures. Bedload samplers have been devised, but 

they are not widely used at the present time ([U.S.] Inter-Agency 

Committee on Water Resources, 1963).

Total sediment discharge is the sum of suspended-sediment discharge and bedload discharge. Suspended-sediment' discharge is computed from measurements taken with equipment that cannot sample 

the zone within 0.3 or 0.5 foot from the streambed. The unsampled 

near-bottom stratum of flow contains the bedload material and suspended material that is present in concentrations probably higher than 

those indicated by sampler data. Thus, the sampling and computing 

process yields results that are biased to the extent that extrapolation 

to the unsampled zone is in error. Inaccuracies having this origin vary 

with the stream and with hydrologic conditions; usually the error is a 

very small percentage of the computed suspended-sediment discharge.

Estimates of the total sediment discharge can sometimes be checked 

by comparing it with the total accumulation of deposited sediment; 

this total can be determined by periodic surveys of reservoir bottoms.

COMPUTATION OF SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AND YIELD

The following sections discuss the methods by which values of average annual sediment yield were computed for this report. The basic 

data for the computations are published in reports of the U.S. Geological Survey; either the water-supply paper series, "Quality of Surface 

Waters of the United States, Parts 9-14," or the reports "Water Resources Data for California, Part 2, Water Quality Records." The data 

on sediment accumulation in the two reservoirs on Stony Creek are 

taken from an earlier report by Knott and Dunnam (1969).
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO RIVER J13

SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT DISCHARGE

The estimates of average annual suspended-sediment discharge 

shown in this study are made by the flow-duration sediment-transport 

curve method described by Miller (1951). Available data of suspendedsediment discharge are of two types: (1) Daily records with sediment 

discharge computed for each day of streamflow; and (2) instantaneous 

data based upon samples taken when appropriate and when possible 

sometimes often enough to be quite descriptive of sediment transport 

throughout one or more periods of high flow, but frequently not. 

Miller's method requires that a curve be developed that relates sediment discharge to water discharge; this is the sediment-transport 

curve. Such a curve was developed for each station in this study; an 

example is shown in figure 2. The relation was based upon daily values 

for stations if available, but for most stations only instantaneous values 

were available.

To compute long-term suspended-sediment yield, the sedimenttransport curves must be used in conjunction with duration curves of 

daily discharge for the corresponding streams. The duration curves, in 

turn, must be representative of the long-term distribution of flows 

of various magnitudes. Many of the records do not include all years 

of the base period (1941-65) that was chosen; if the records were 

thus deficient, the required duration values were estimated by use of 

the method recommended by Searcy (1959). The method consists of 

relating the flow regimen of station B (with a short term of record) 

to that of station A (having a long record) during the period of 

record at station B, then using the relation of short-term to long-term 

characteristics of the flow regimen of station A to estimate the longterm characteristics of the flow at station B. Figure 3 shows a typical 

duration curve for the base period. The base-period-duration curve and 

the sediment-transport curve together provide the data shown in 

table 2, an example of the computation of mean annual sediment 

discharge.

The most accurate results are probably for those stations with longterm records of both streamflow and suspended sediment that have 

daily computations of suspended-sediment transport. The estimates 

of long-term average suspended-sediment discharge derived from very 

short records of flow and instantaneous samplings of suspendedsediment concentrations have more possibility for error, but no 

definite limits can be assigned.

Column 5 of table 2 shows the suspended-sediment discharge that 

accompanies the appropriate water discharge in the duration table. 

When each element of column 5 is multiplied by the percentage of
J14 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

time from column 2, the sum of the products is the mean daily suspended-sediment discharge (column 6). This sum multiplied by the 

number of days in a year (365.25) is the mean annual suspendedsediment discharge (the average total quantity annually transported 

from the basin).

20,000 -

20 40 60 100 200 400 600 1000 2000 4000 6000 10,000 

INSTANTANEOUS WATER DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND 

FIGURE 2. Suspended-sediment transport curve, Clear Creek at French Gulch.
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO RIVER 

SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT YIELD

J15

We have discussed the methods used to estimate the long-term average annual transport of suspended sediment from a basin. Knowledge

50,000

10,000

5000

\

1000

tc. 500

100

50

10

1.0 

0.5

0.1

\

\

0.01 0.1 1 10 50 90 99 99.99

PERCENTAGE OF DAYS INDICATED DISCHARGE 

WAS EQUALED OR EXCEEDED

FIGURE 3. Flow-duration curve, Thomes Creek at Paskenta, 

October 1940-September 1965.
J16 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

of the quantity transported is useful in itself, but the data can be 

analyzed yet further to determine the variations in sediment yield 

among the regions studied.

TABLE 2. Example of computation of mean annual suspended-sediment discharge

[Data are from sediment-transport curve and duration curve of daily discharges of Clear Creek at

French Gulch]

Cumulative

time (percent)

(1)

0.02

. 10

.20

1.0

3.0

5.0

9.0

15

25

35

45

55

Time in 

increment

(percent)

(2)

0.02

.08

. 10

.80

2.0

2.0

4

6

10

10

10

10

Mean of 

increment

(percent)

(3)

0.01

.06

. 15

. 60

2.0

4.0

7

12

20

30

40

50

Streamflow 

(cubic feet per

second)

(4)

5, 900

4, 200

3, 300

2, 300

1, 360

890

610

400

250

160

110

70

Suspendedsediment

discharge (tons 

per day)

(5)

30, 000

12, 000

6,400

2, 500

400

85

21

5.2

2.5

1.3

0

Mean daily 

suspendedsediment discharge ! (tons)

(6)

6. 00

9.60

6.40

20.00

8. 00

1.70

.84

.31

.25

. 13

0

Total mean daily suspended-sediment discharge__-_______tons_- 53. 23

Mean annual suspended-sediment discharge______-______tons_- 2 19, 000

1 Column 6=colurnn 2Xcolumn 5. 

3 Bounded.

Suspended-sediment yield is usually expressed as tons per square 

mile per year and is computed from mean annual suspended-sediment 

discharge (in tons per year) by dividing by the size of the drainage 

area in square miles. Obviously, the value thus obtained is an average 

for the entire basin; rarely does such an average rate of suspendedsediment yield actually exist over any substantial area. In a basin that 

includes a large lake such as Berryessa or Clear Lake, much of the 

suspended sediment that is carried into the lake by tributaries will 

settle out as the water becomes quiescent. Lake outflow commonly 

carries in suspension a relatively small quantity of very fine material, 

perhaps 5-30 percent of the total sediment that enters the lake. Any 

basin where a lake thus detains suspended sediment blocks the continuity in movement of the material. The discontinuity must be recognized and appropriate adjustments made in order to translate data 

on suspended-sediment transport (gathered at a station downstream 

from the lake) into estimates of basinwide yield.

Because of the great variations in yield that occur for many reasons, 

the sources of suspended sediment must be determined by as small
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO RIVER J17

areas as possible. For a set of data such as is available, for example, 

from the Cottonwood Creek basin where there are two stations on tributaries and one on the main stream, the yields of three distinct areas 

(the basins of the two tributaries and the intervening area that contributes to the downstream station) can be computed separately. The 

computations assume a continuity of sediment movement that is, all 

sediments passing the upstream sites also pass the downstream site, 

and the difference between the total load passing the upstream site 

and the load passing the downstream site represents all the sediments 

produced from the intervening area. This assumption, although never 

perfectly true, is probably valid for most conditions over a long 

period of time. However, during a short period there may be a relatively large quantity of deposition within any specific reach, and 

the true yield of the intervening area may therefore not be exactly 

the same as the computed residual indicates. The residual value 

obtained by subtraction is actually a net sediment yield; if the net 

sediment yield thus computed is small compared to the measured 

values from which it is derived, then it can be in error by a high 

percentage. Nevertheless, the method can be used to advantage in 

studying sediment-yield characteristics of a region. Table 3 sumTABLE 3. Mean annual transport and yield cf suspended sediment

Identification 

symbol

Station Basin 

No. letter 

(fig. 4)

3710.........

3744... ......

3760.........

37SS.6.......

3705.. .......

382CL. .......

3SSO.. ....

3906.72 .... 

4515__. _.._._

4517.2.......

4520.........

4525.........

4535.. -_---._

A

B 

C

D 

E 

F 

G 

H

k 

K 

L

M 

N 

O 

P

a

s

T

TJ 

V

Middle Fork Cottonwood Creek near Ono. 

South Fork Cottonwood Creek near Cottonwood.

Cottonwood Creek near Cottonwood _ ... 

Red Bank Creek near Red Bluff __ __

East Park Reservoir.......... ..........

Stony Creek at Black Butte damsite near 

Orland.

North Fork Cache Creek near Lower Lake.

Area

Estimated mean 

annual quantities 

of suspended sediment

Transported Yield 

from basin (tons per 

(tons) sq mi)

115 

249 

217

456 

922 

109 

92.9 

194 

102 

199 

301 

440 

741

38.2 

197 

100 

130 

2955 

89 

1,044 

95 

1,139 

113

19,000 

260,000 

230,000

320, 000 

810,000 ....

93,000 

125, 000 

650,000 

46,000 

69,000 

115,000 ....

445,000 

560,000 ....

3,800 

215,000 

62,000 

1 453, 000 

880,000 ....

270,000 

1,150,000 ....

0 

1,150,000 ....

130,000

165 

1,040 

1,060

702

853 

1,350 

3,350 

451 

347

1,010

99 

1,090 

620 

3,480

3,030

0

1,150

1 Assuming 150,000 tons per year of suspended sediment leaves Clear Lake. This assumption is based upon 

a poorly defined sediment-transport rating, applied to long-term data of daily lake outflow; the results are 

compatible with reasonable rates of sediment yield and trap efficiency.

2 Includes the three preceding basins (N, O, P) and the 528 square miles tributary to Cache Creek at the 

outlet of Clear Lake.
J18 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

maries the suspended-sediment yields of the component subareas 

within the study area, and figure 4 is a map showing a generalized 

interpretation of the yield characteristics of the region.

200-750

750-1200

-<300

EXPLANATION

AVERAGE ANNUAL SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT

YIELD 

(Tons per square mile)

<200

1200-2500

>2500

>300

Major drainage divide

Other selected drainage divides 

^3795

Sediment-measuring site

Number corresponds to that in

table 3

Boundary separating areas of high 

estimated yield of suspended sediment 

from areas of low estimated yield

FIGURE 4. Map showing average annual yield of suspended sediment in the study area.
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO RIVER J19

The information shown in table 3 and figure 4 indicates that the 

highest sediment yields of the study area are from the Coast Ranges 

province (fig. 1), particularly from areas underlain by sedimentary 

rocks of the Franciscan Formation (Bailey, 1966). Lowest yields occur 

in the foothills and flatlands. Generally, high suspended-sediment 

yields seem to be related to high runoff (or at least they seem, to be 

coincidental in areas of occurrence), although the Clear Creek basin 

is an exception.

The data from the two most downstream stations on Cache Creek 

(Capay and Yolo) indicate that the same quantity of suspended sediment is transported past both stations. This relation results in a 

computed yield of zero from the intervening area. Two inferences 

follow: first, that the yield from the intervening area is relatively 

low this conclusion seems reasonable, as the region is low and flat, and 

average annual precipitation is less than 20 inches; second, that 

the true difference in the quantities transported past the two stations 

is too slight to be significant when compared to the entire suspended 

load. To demonstrate the relative magnitudes that are involved: in 

the level semiarid region of 95 square miles that constitutes the intervening area, the net yield of suspended sediment is probably in the 

order of magnitude of 100 tons per square mile per year at the most, 

or a total of not more than 10,000 tons. The computed load at both 

Capay and Yolo is more than 1.1 million tons and at either station 

may easily be in error by 10 percent. Obviously, the quantity contributed by the intervening area cannot be meaningfully deduced 

from any residual that might be computed between such large values.

The sediment yields shown in figure 4 are the best estimates possible 

from the available data; however, it must be borne in mind that 

many of the data are from relatively short periods of record, and even 

the 25-year base period to which the data were adjusted may differ 

from truly long-term conditions. In most cases, the yields are averages 

for areas of more than 100 square miles. Sediment yield from markedly 

smaller areas within the study region or from any areas outside the 

sampled basins may be considerably different from the computed 

yields. In applying these data to specific design problems, onsite observations and additional data should be used to confirm or correct the 

information provided by this report.

BEDLOAD DISCHARGE

Bedload discharge can be estimated by several computational procedures, all of which utilize empirical relations among the size 

distribution of bed material, the physical characteristics of the stream 

channel, and the laws of hydraulics. In this report the Meyer-Peter
J20 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

and Muller equation, as modified by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (1960) , was used. The equation is

<?,= !. 6065 [~3.306 (Qj

where

Gs= total bedload discharge, in tons per day.

B= bottom width of the stream channel, in feet.

Qs=>the water discharge that transports a specific bedload, in

cubic feet per second. 1

Q= total water discharge, in cubic feet per second. 

D$Q = particle size at which 90 percent of the bed material is

finer, in millimeters.

ns= Manning n value for the streambed. 

d= depth of flow, in feet.

S= slope of the energy gradeline, in feet per foot. 

Dm= effective size of bed material, in millimeters.

[Dm = ^ - where D is the geometric mean diameter of particles in a

given size fraction and p is the percent by weight in that size 

fraction.]

The parameters of the size of bed material were determined from 

samples collected at three stations where the data defining channel 

and hydraulic parameters were available. Bedload discharge was 

computed for a variety of flow conditions, and this information was 

used to derive the transport curves of bedload shown in figure 5. The 

mean annual movement of bedload was computed in the same manner 

as the movement of suspended sediment was; that is, by use of the 

transport curves and the daily duration curves of the streams in question. The estimates of bedload transport at the three stations and at 

two additional locations in the study area (Stony Creek and Cache 

Creek where computations were previously made for use in another 

report) are summarized in table 4. Bedload yield of the basins ranged 

from 13 to 211 tons per square mile, and the bedload constituted 2-7 

percent of the total sediment transported from the basins studied.

As has been mentioned, the several formulas that investigators have 

used for the computation of bedload transport differ from each other. 

One formula may be especially sensitive to variations in a particular 

characteristic of channel geometry, of streamflow regimen, or of 

particle-size distribution, and other formulas may be sensitive to 

other characteristics. In addition, measurements used in the computations are from only one site (or at most a limited number of sites) in 

each basin. For this reason bedload transport values computed from

1 That is, total discharge except for the flow that has its carrying capacity associated with tlis banks of 

the channel rather than with the bed.
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO EIVBE J21

these formulas are imprecise; however, they do serve to indicate the 

relative magnitudes of materials moved as bedload.

VOLUME OF DEPOSITED SEDIMENT

When planning impoundments or other works of hydraulic engineering, the designer must be concerned with the quantity of storage 

space or flowage area which may be lost because of the deposition of 

sediment. In this report, therefore, the deposited unit weights and, 

from those, the deposited volumes of the sediment transported past

100,000

50,000 -

100 500 1000 5000 10,000 50,000 100,000

INSTANTANEOUS WATER DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND 

FIGURE 5. Transport curves of bedload discharge at selected measuring sites.
J22 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

the measuring sites were computed by use of a method described by 

Lara and Pemberton (1965). The initial unit weight of the deposited 

material was calculated from data on the relative percentages of 

clay, silt, and sand, using coefficients for each classification under 

assumed conditions of reservoir operation whereby the sediment is 

always or nearly always submerged (type I operation, in the Lara 

and Pemberton method) . The equation used for deposited weight was

where Pc, Pm, and Ps are the percentage clay, silt, and sand, respectively, and V is the unit weight after deposition. Also unit weights 

were computed by using a relation based upon median particle size, 

which was developed by Welborn (1967). The results of the two 

methods agreed closely.

TABLE 4. Annual discharge of sediment as bedload in the study , area

ll-3744____

ll-3758.2___

1 1-3820.. _.

1 1-3880 _.._

11-4525 _ .

_ Middle Fork Cottonwood

Creek near Ono.

Creek near Cottonwood.

damsite near Orland.

Average annual 

bedload discharge

Tons

25, 000 

3,300

41, 000 

i 9, 800

2 77, 000

Tons per 

sqmi

100 

15

211 

13

3 126

Bedload as 

percentage 

of total 

transported 

sediment

7 

3

6 

2

6.3

1 From Knott and Dunnam (1969), adjusted to 1941-65 flow regimen.

2 From Lustig and Busch (1967, p. A30), adjusted to 1941-65 flow regimen.

3 Assuming no bedload from the 528 square miles of the basin tributary to the outlet of Clear Lake.

The average annual volume occupied by suspended sediment if it 

were deposited in reservoirs is shown in table 5. Deposited Volumes 

of bed material were not computed; however, we can reasonably 

postulate that the bedload has a unit weight of perhaps 100 pounds 

per cubic foot. Therefore, a given weight of deposited bedload may 

occupy 0.6-0.8 of the volume occupied by an equivalent weight of deposited suspended sediment; from this, we can make a reasonable 

estimate of the deposited volume. Bedload weight in the study area 

ranged from 2 to 7 percent of the weight of suspended sediment; 

corresponding deposited volumes range from 1 to 6 percent of the 

volume of deposited suspended sediment. Judging from the data of 

the study area, at most locations the volume of deposited bedload 

would be less than 5 percent of the volume of deposited suspended 

sediment.
TABLE 5. Sediment measured at sampling sites: particle size, unit weigh

[Definition of terms: Clay=less than 0.004 mm; silt=0.004-0.062 mm; sand=0.062-2.0 mm; gran

Particle size

15ed material

Station Percent

Pebbles Granules

Clear Creek at French Gulch _ _ _ _

Middle Fork Cottonwood Creek 

near Ono

South Fork Cottonwood Creek 

near Cottonwood- ____ __

Cottonwood Creek near Cottonwood-. __

Red Bank Creek near Red Bluff _ _

Elder Creek near Paskenta _ _ _____

Thomes Creek at Paskenta _ _________

Stony Creek at Black Butte danisite,

Stone Corral Creek near Sites. ______ _

North Fork Cache Creek near Lower 

Lake _______ ____ ____ __ ___

Bear Creek near Rumsey.. _________

Cache Creek above Rumsey. ___ ______

Cache Creek near Capay__ _ _ ____

Cache Creek at Yolo ____________ _

Putah Creek near Guenoc_____ ________

65 

47

54 

41

59 

66

45

16 

11

17

18

15 

17

13

Sand

19 

42

29 

41

26

17

42

diameter 

(mm)

6. 20 

3.40

4. 50 

2. 80

6.00 

6.20

3.20

Su

Per

Sand

23 

36

43 

15 

18 

24 

44

15

8

30 

12 

20 

22 

19 

26

S
J24 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The available data indicate that the average annual suspendedsediment yield in the study area ranges from less than 100 to more 

than 3,000 tons per square mile. There seems to be a tendency toward 

a positive correlation of yield with precipitation and runoff; for 

example, the lowest computed sediment yield was from the basin 

having the least runoff (Stone Corral Creek). Thomes Creek and 

North Fork Cache Creek both have high runoff, and both are heavy 

sediment producers. However, the upper basin of Clear Creek has 

high runoff but low yield. Obviously, factors other than precipitation 

and runoff are involved. It seems reasonable to postulate that among 

these factors are: the presence or lack of sources of erodible material 

together with protective plant development, the nature of the topography of the basin, the regimen of precipitation, and the regimen of 

runoff.

The highest suspended-sediment yields in the study area come 

from basins draining the Coast Ranges province, particularly from 

the basins underlain by sedimentary rocks of the Franciscan 

Formation.

Data were available to enable computation of the bedload discharge at five sites in the study area. Bedload at these sites was found 

to range from 13 to 211 tons per square mile of basin area, and it 

represented 2-7 percent of the total transported sediment. Bedload 

is a function of the hydraulics of the stream in question as well as of 

the material available for movement; changes in the flow regimen 

of a stream can therefore cause great changes in the quantity of material the stream will transport as bedload. Under the natural conditions 

observed in this study and in others, it seems that bedload from many 

basins may be assumed to be usually 2-7 percent of the load carried 

in suspension.

The material carried in suspension by the study streams was found 

to have potential volumes, when deposited, ranging from 0.1 to 2.1 

a ere-feet per year per square mile of contributing area. Most streams 

in the central part of the study area transport large enough quantities 

of material so that the effect of sediment deposition may be important 

to engineering design. Lower sediment yields occur in the foothills and 

plains of the Great Valley of California province and in crystalline 

rocks of the Ivlamath Mountains province. In areas of low yield, the 

deposited volume of sediment may not be an engineering problem; 

however, knowledge of the characteristics of size distribution of suspended sediment may be important, as particle size is closely associated with the occurrence of persistent turbidity.
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO RIVER J25

Two attributes of the regimen of sediment transport in the study 

area are strongly linked with regional characteristics of the precipitation regimen:

1. There is great variation from year to year. For example, in 1965, 

a wet year, about 800,000 tons of suspended sediment passed the 

station on North Fork of Cache Creek, or more than 3.5 times 

the average annual quantity. In contrast, the quantity transported 

during 1961, a dry year, was less than 7 percent of the average ; 

the 1965 load was thus more than 50 times the 1961 load.

2. Much of the erosion (and the ensuing transport of sediment) occurs 

during short periods of time. In most of the study area, 90 percent of the sediment is transported during only 3 percent of the 

time, and this occurs during the rainy period from October to 

April.

The total annual production of suspended sediment of the entire 

study area can be estimated on the basis of the available data. In the 

total area from which the data were obtained (about 4,000 sq mi), 

sediment yield averages about 4.2 million tons annually. Of this about 

1.3 million tons is trapped in four lakes if their trap efficiency is 

assumed to be about 90 percent. For the remaining part of the study 

area, about 3,100 square miles, there are no data. Judging from topographic and geologic similarities with measured areas, perhaps 600 

square miles of this can be considered to yield relatively high quantities of sediment and the remaining 2,500 square miles to yield low 

quantities. Assigning arbitrary but reasonable values of 400 tons per 

square mile as high annual yield and 100 tons per square mile as low 

annual yield, the average annual yield of the 3,100 square miles is 

about 500 thousand tons; therefore, the total annual yield of the region 

averages about 4.7 million tons, of which about 3.4 million tons are 

transported to the Sacramento River.

The short period of record and the limited areal coverage of sediment data in the study area permitted only broad generalizations in 

the definition of source areas. It must be recognized that the computed 

mean annual yields are sufficiently accurate for design purposes only 

at locations that are in the vicinity of data collection sites. For estimates of sediment yields at other locations, the information in this 

report should be supplemented by additional sediment data, and conditions in the project area should be compared to known transport conditions in similar and adjacent basins. The systematic collection of 

suspended-sediment data, over relatively long periods of time, can 

provide vastly improved estimates of sediment yield from project 

areas.
J26 SEDIMENTATION IN SMALL DRAINAGE BASINS

SELECTED REFERENCES

Albers, J. P., 1965, Economic geology of the French Gulch quadrangle, Shasta

and Trinity Counties, California: California Div. Mines and Geology, Spec.

Kept. 183,43 p. 

Bailey, E. H., ed., 1966, Geology of northern California: California Div. Mines

and Geology Bull. 190, 508 p. 

Bailey, E. H., Irwin, W. P., and Jones, D. L., 1964, Franciscan and related

rocks, and their significance in the geology of western California: California

Div. Mines and Geology Bull. 183,177 p. 

Bryan, Kirk, 1923, Geology and ground-water resources of Sacramento Valley,

California: U.S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 495, 285 p. 

California Department of Water Resources, 1966, Precipitation in the Central

Valley: Sacramento District Office rept., 61 p.

 1969, Upper Sacramento River basin investigation: Bull. 150-1, 104 p.

 1970, Water for California Outlook in 1970: Bull. 160-70, 179 p.

Cole, Burt, 1903, Storage reservoirs on Stony Creek, California : U.S. Geol. Survey

Water-Supply Paper 86, 62 p. 

Davis, G. A., 1966, Metamorphic and granitic history of the Klamath Mountains,

in Bailey, E. H., Ed., Geology of northern California: California Div. Mines

and Geology Bull. 190, p. 39-50. 

Fenneman, N. M., 1931, Physiography of Western United States: New York,

McGraw-Hill Book Co., 534 p. 

Hackel, Otto, 1966, Summary of the geology of the Great Valley, in Bailey,

E. H., ed., Geology of northern California: California Div. Mines and

Geology Bull. 190, p. 217-238. 

Irwin, W. P., 1966, Geology of the Klamath Mountains Province, in Bailey, E. H.,

ed., Geology of northern California : California Div. Mines and Geology Bull.

190, p. 19-38. 

Jenkins, O. P., 1943, Geomorphic provinces of California, in Geologic formations

and economic development of the oil and gas fields of California : California

Dept Nat. Resources, Div. Mines and Geology Bull. 118, p. 83-88. 

Knott, J. M., and Dunnam, C. A., 1969, Sedimentation in upper Stony Creek

basin, eastern flank of the Coast Ranges of northern California: U.S. Geol.

Survey Water-Supply Paper 1798-F, 35 p. 

Langbein, W. B., and Schumm, S. A., 1958, Yield of sediment in relation to

mean annual precipitation: Am. Geophys. Union Trans., v. 39, p. 1076-1084. 

Lara, J. M., and Pemberton, E. L., 1965, Initial unit weight of deposited sediments, in Proceedings of the Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference, 1963: U.S. Dept. Agriculture Misc. Pub. 970, p. 818-845. 

Lustig, L. K., and Busch, R. D., 1967, Sediment transport in Cache Creek

drainage basin in the Coast Ranges west of Sacramento, California: U.S.

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 562-A, 36 p. 

Miller, C. R., 1951, Analysis of flow-duration, sediment-rating curve method of

computing sediment yield: U.S. Bur. of Reclamation Hydrology Branch,

Denver. Colo., 55 p. 

Page, B. M., 1966, Geology of the Coast Ranges of California, in Bailey, E. H.,

ed., Geology of northern California: California Div. Mines and Geology

Bull. 190, p. 255-276.
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SACRAMENTO RIVER J27

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