Deposition of Sediments in a Meandering Stream 10.

1
Miles Coon
Block 7
May 2015
Purpose: To observe whether a streams gully becomes larger over
time and its correlation to erosion and the streams ecosystem.
A. Hypothesis: I believe that the streams gully is related
to erosion and will become large over time

Materials

Stream table

Sand

Clock

Water

Syphon pump

Procedure
1. Set up a stream bed with wet sand a minimum of 2 inches deep.
2. Draw a stream that curves from side to side in a snake like
pattern
3. Measure the curves with a ruler and record their distance
4. Use the syphon pump to create a steady stream of water that
flows gently into the stream bed at 10 degrees. (if no syphon
pump is available, create the syphon with a thin tube)
5. Let the water flow in the stream bed for twenty minutes or as
long as you can keep the water flowing.

6. Observe the rate of water on the outside and inside of the

bank. Turn off water after allotted time period, but leave the
sand untouched.
7. Compare the slopes of the inside and outside groups at center
of each curve.
8. Repeat step 4, but use a 15 degree angle.
Data

Angle of the water

Stream 1s

Stream 2s

fall

Distance of

Distance of

curve

curves

(in.)

(in.)

22.5

23

10 degrees

Curve
1

15 degrees

23

24.5

Curve
2

Stream 1: this stream was wider at the start and the end of the
river bed. The inside curve was cut through with a slight bit of
sand hanging over the river and there wasnt much change with the
outside curves.

Stream 2: The speed of the water was faster in this stream so the
entrance and exit was even wider than the first river and there
was even more of an overhang in this trail. The outside curves were
a lot smoother than the first, when there was no observable change.

Conclusion
In the case of this lab I would fail to reject my hypothesis.
The lab results simply indicate that if water hits a stream bed at
more speed, then the stream bed is generally wider, with more
erosion of the inside curves and a deeper gully through which to
flow through. This would also help to explain how after the floods
last year that the rivers were dramatically affected, sometimes even
changing the course of the riverbed altogether or having a much
bigger gully to run through at the very least.