Sediment Discharge Computation Using Point‐Sampled Suspended‐Sediment Data

Abstract

A procedure, TSD (total sediment discharge), for computing total sediment discharge using point‐sampled suspended‐sediment data is presented and tested with field data. TSD was found to provide total sediment discharge estimates that are similar in magnitude to both turbulence flume measurements of total sediment discharge and modified Einstein procedure (MEP) estimates. Assessment of reviewed data sets highlight advantages for selecting the TSD procedure over the MEP. Advantages of the TSD procedure include realistic sediment discharge estimates, greater control in obtaining suspended‐sediment samples, automatic sampling, the collection of near‐continuous measurements, and time integration for determining the true sediment transport. Also, the use of suspended‐sediment point samples enables less time in the field and lower sediment sampling costs.