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3) Streambed particle data

Metadata Updated: January 10, 2026

Seventeen streamflow-gaging stations, operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and distributed across the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma were selected for analysis. Bed material sampling was conducted to obtain information on the particle-size distributions of the streambed materials and to determine the shapes of the individual particles comprising the streambeds. Information on stream-bed particle-size distribution was used to compute the potential rate of bed-load transport and is a parameter used in the Rosgen (Rosgen, 1996) stream reach classification system. Streambed-material particle sizes were measured using two methods. The first method was Wolman pebble counts conducted across the riffles and pools within each study reach. A step-toe procedure was used to collect approximately 100 samples at each riffle and pool. Materials only from the active streambed were measured. For each sample the longest (A) axis, intermediate (B) axis, and shortest (C) axis were measured and recorded. From this pebble count data the bedrock tallies were removed and cumulative frequency curves were developed, from which the median (D50) and one standard deviation from the median (D16 and D84) particle sizes were determined. Bedrock is defined as any exposure of native solid rock in the streambed or along the streambanks. The second streambed-material particle-size sampling method was a sieve analysis of bar samples. A 5-gallon pail (approximately 50 – 60 lbs) of bar gravel was collected from the downstream face of a point-bar approximately 1/3 of the way down the face. The sample was dried and weighed to the nearest 0.1 of a gram to determine the total sample weight. The sample was then placed in a nest of sieves and a mechanical sieve shaker was used to shake the sample particles through the sieves. Next, the particles from each sieve were removed and weighed. The final total weights retained on each sieve were summed and compared to the original total weight before sieving. From the weight retained on each sieve cumulative frequency curves were developed, the median (D50) and one standard deviation from the median (D16 and D84) particles sizes were determined. References Rosgen, D.L., 1996, Applied river morphology: Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Wildland Hydrology Books, 390 p. This child item contains particle information for the 17 study sites. The data for each site is in a zipped file including: 1) Tables with study site Wolman pebble and bar measurements (CSV files). 2) Graphs of streambed particle size cumulative frequency curves and particle shape analysis (JPG files).

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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Dates

Metadata Created Date January 10, 2026
Metadata Updated Date January 10, 2026

Metadata Source

Harvested from DOI USGS DCAT-US

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date January 10, 2026
Metadata Updated Date January 10, 2026
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Maintainer
Identifier http://datainventory.doi.gov/id/dataset/USGS_58f77343e4b0b7ea5451f011
Data Last Modified 2020-08-21T00:00:00Z
Category geospatial
Public Access Level public
Bureau Code 010:12
Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Metadata Catalog ID https://ddi.doi.gov/usgs-data.json
Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id c835735c-ef1a-466a-a8f1-fbad4a7a52eb
Harvest Source Id 2b80d118-ab3a-48ba-bd93-996bbacefac2
Harvest Source Title DOI USGS DCAT-US
Metadata Type geospatial
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Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash 858493f11e2bef2ba378d824b0840f5922961677e706965e1d75de886d2054c0
Source Schema Version 1.1
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