A Diagnosis of Disturbed Rivers

More than half of U.S. rivers are impaired, meaning they cannot function as ecosystems, are not dependable supplies of drinking water, or are hazardous for recreation. Understanding the fluvial-geomorphic system is essential in developing engineering solutions to restore our rivers. Geomorphology is a science that seeks to understand and quantify the processes responsible for river formation—how sediment transport, flow, and gradient are key processes in creating an equilibrium. This presentation will outline some of the important principles that govern river formation and sediment processes, highlighting emerging technologies that can improve our understanding of the fluvial system and help develop management strategies to restore our rivers.

Allen Gellis is a research geomorphologist with the U.S Geological Survey. He received his PhD from Colorado State University in geology. He has spent his career studying sediment as it relates to land use and climate and has worked in a variety of geomorphic settings including Puerto Rico, the Southwest, the Midwest, and the Mid-Atlantic regions. His research examines sediment budgets with a focus on geochemical sediment fingerprinting.

Gellis is also an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting School of Engineering where he teaches Sediment Transport and River Mechanics. Gellis will present some of his research on disturbed rivers.