A New Tool for Measuring Sediment Accumulation with Minimal Loss of Fines

Abstract

To measure the impact of culvert construction on brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis spawning beds, we collaborated with Bio-Innove, Inc., to develop a simple method for measuring the physical characteristics of streambeds and for quantifying the accumulation of fine sediment at spawning depth. We developed a modified version of the Wesche method that greatly limits fine-sediment loss at retrieval and the loss of the sediment collectors themselves. We found all 128 collectors after a 1–3-month period and all but 3 after 1 year in four experimental streams. The collectors are reusable and permit easy transfer of samples to the laboratory without any visible loss of fine sediment. The data collected allowed us to compare, by use of parametric statistics, the upstream and downstream sections from newly built culverts in terms of percent fines of different diameters, distance of sediment accumulation downstream, grading curves, and organic matter content of accumulated fine sediment.