Flows that form: The hydromorphology of concave-bank bench formation in the Ovens River, Australia

Abstract

Ecological processes associated with in-channel benches have become a key focus of environmental flow studies in Australia. In this paper we present an initial investigation into the relationship between the morphology of mature benches and the flow regime responsible for their maintenance. We define benches as depositional features resulting from the vertical accretion of suspended sediment within a river channel. A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model (River2D) was used to represent the hydrodynamic conditions over a concave-bank bench on the Ovens River, southeast Australia, and deposited material was analysed. For stages higher than the bench surface elevation a large low-velocity and gene..