"Read what over 60 internationally recognized authors say about fluvial processes, the environment, and management of gravel-bed rivers. Learn about efforts to restore more-natural ecosystem functions to adversely impacted rivers. And for some mind-stretching, consider the hydraulic/geomorphic implications of cataclysmic floods on Earth and Mars. Beginning in 1980 and held at five-year intervals, these workshops have brought together leading international researchers to present and discuss new results, concepts and state-of-the-art methods to analyze fluvial processes in and manage gravel-bed rivers. The fourth workshop was held at Gold Bar, Washington, near the dynamic Skykomish River and strikingly beautiful Cascade Mountains. Workshop papers and discussions are published to document new concepts and ideas for broad use by those who study, manage or have general interests in rivers. This fourth Gravel-Bed Rivers Workshop covers three focus topics. The first topic reviews new developments regarding fluvial processes, sediment transport and channel morphology -- in eight chapters on distinct subjects. The second and third focus topics strongly emphasize gravel-beds rivers in the environment, their influences, and their management -- in the next 19 chapters. River restoration is examined for large European and North American rivers as parts of several of the environment-management chapters. Seven appended "short papers" report on research in progress, presented at the Workshop in a poster-discussion session. Also included are two special-interest chapters -- on giving a detailed analysis and morphologic/hydraulic interpretation of cataclysmic floods and one summarizing a field exercise in management options for a long braided-meandering reach of the Skykomish River near Gold Bar."--Publisher's description.

Describes and quantifies the movement and storage of sediment in rivers with gravel-bed material, based upon scientific and engineering principles. Papers based on theory and experiment are interspersed with case studies. Until recently, gravel-bed rivers have been under-researched, when compared with sand-bed rivers. There is a heightened interest in these rivers now, due to pressure from water resources, forestry and recreational development in upland areas.

With contributions from key researchers across the globe, and edited by internationally recognized leading academics, Gravel-bed Rivers: Processes and Disasters presents the definitive review of current knowledge of gravel-bed rivers. Continuing an established and successful series of scholarly reports, this book consists of the papers presented at the 8th International Gravel-bed Rivers Workshop. Focusing on all the recent progress that has been made in the field, subjects covered include flow, physical modeling, sediment transport theory, techniques and instrumentation, morphodynamics and ecological topics, with special attention given to aspects of disasters relevant to sediment supply and integrated river management. This up-to-date compendium is essential reading for geomorphologists, river engineers and ecologists, river managers, fluvial sedimentologists and advanced students in these fields.