Coastal and Human Influences on Floodplain

The Sacramento River near the Fremont Weir is shown in this image. Fremont Weir has a broad crest and long base extent running longitudinally along the Sacramento River. The weir structure interrupts the Floodplain, and separates water in the Sacramento River for low flood stages, and connects the Yolo Bypass for greater stages.

Human influences, such as weirs, impact flood conveyance and can confound natural fluvial geomorphologic interpretations. Meander wavelength, entrenchment ratio, and Meander belt width, for example, are difficult to interpret given this linear interruption to the Floodplain.

Image courtesy of NOAA