ABSTRACT: A quarter century of seasonal and annual sediment yield variations into Lake Huron from Ausable River, Ontario.

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Abstract

Sediment yield into Lake Huron from the 1142 km2 Ausable River watershed, Ontario is controlled by suspended sediment response to flood events, hydrologic change and land use. Twenty four years (1970-1993) of daily suspended sediment observation show that the spring nival melt dominates the flood record and yields the majority of annual sediment load. Multiple clock-wise hysteresis loops indicate a continuous supply of sediment during the early melt period. As the season progresses there is a tendency towards counter-clockwise loops suggesting delayed inputs from bank erosion and other watershed-wide sediment storage sinks. A time series of exponents for the twenty four spring season rating curves shows a weak trend towards a reduced response of sediment input from floods of an equivalent magnitude during the spring freshet. River entrenchment and land use changes are possible contributing factors. The Ausable River has one of the highest specific sediment yields of rivers flowing into Lake Huron from the eastern (Canadian) side. Tall glacial embankments exposed in the lower river reaches are a significant sediment source. Total annual sediment loads from the Ausable River have declined significantly over the last quarter century and this follows the same trend of several other rivers entering the eastern Lake Huron shore.

Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology