Channel Adjustment Tendency

Stream bank instability and watershed alteration has the likelihood to cause local Degradation and downstream Aggradation.

Degradation might involve a channel increasing width to depth ratio, decreasing Sinuosity, increasing slope and changing the entrained sediment distribution.

Aggradation might involve a channel increasing sediment supply, increasing bar Deposition, decreasing sediment transport capacity, or possibly increasing Sinuosity, decreasing slope, and decreasing width to depth ratio.

This image shows the tendency of Stream type evolution, such as E4 going to C4, or C4 going to G4 and then onto F4.

Image courtesy of Rosgen