MODULE 9

BASIC OF RIVER MORPHOLOGY

A SELF LEARNING MODULE

Wrote by
E.P WAHONO
Civil Engineering Department – Faculty of Engineering
The University of Lampung
Jl. Sumantri Brojonegoro No.1 Bandar Lampung 35145 INDONESIA
e-mail: epwahono@unila.ac.id
 A. INTRODUCTION

Hi there!

How nice to see you,…..It is a

great time being with you
discussing an interesting
topic about basic knowledge
on River Morphology.
Picture of meandering river taken from:
www.kathysharpfrisbee.com

Let me inform you that this module is a part of

material on River Engineering course. This
Module discusses basic knowledge on river
morphology as a tool in analysing simple river
response due to river engineering measures to
support decision maker in order to conduct river
engineering planning. Using this module we have
to learn three modules namely: river morphology in river engineering, equations
regarding river morphology and simple case on 1D river response prediction.

Since this modul is part of eather an advance course for undergraduate student or
refreshment course for graduate students, then knowledge of calculus, hydraulics
engineering, engineering hydrology, sediment transport as well as engineering geology
will very much help you to arrive at the right destination smoothly. However, I will be
happy to guide you step by step and remind you if you have to reffer to other sources.

Let us start with general bacground of this module. Over the last decade, ecological
rehabilitation is an important item on the policy maker’s agenda in Europe. In the
Netherlands, for example, the physical planning of floodplain landscape of large parts of
the river system is being revised to include again free-flowing secondary channels,
muddy banks, grasslands and riverside floodplain forest. Currently various nature
development projects have also been planned or are already implemented. In addition to
that, plants and animals associated with natural river environments are being reintroduced
and given the chance to re-establish them selves.

Providing back those environmental views, however, also have morphological

consequences. One of very important impact is river morphological changes.

General Objective
Upon the completion of this module, you will be able to comprehend basic knowledge
and skill of river morphology as a tool in analysing simple river response due to river
engineering measures.

Specific Objectives
In more specific term, after having studied this module, you will be able to:
1. explain what is the role of river morphology in river engineering planning
2. explain what are equation and formulas usually used to analyse river
morphology
3. explain how to predict 1D river response using simple analytical approach

You need more or less three and half hours to learn this module. However, you may
determine your pace of learning. I suggest you to carefully and completely learn it section
by section.

For the detail explanation regarding specific content within this module, it will be better
for you to read other related references. I would like to recommend you following books
to be read:
1. CHANG. Howard H, (1988), Fluvial Processes in River engineering, Krieger
Publishing Company, Florida. 342 pages
2. JANSEN, Ph., (1979), Principles of River Engineering: The non Tidal Alluvial
River. D.U.M., Delft, Facsimile edition 1994. Original edition Pitman, London,
Great Britain.
3. KLAASSEN, G.J, (1995), Lane’s Balance Revisited, Proc.6th International
Symposium on River Sedimentation, New Delhi-India, pp. 671-686.
4. VAN RIJN. Leo C, (1998), Principle of Sediment Transport on River and Coastal
Area, IHE delft, The Netherlands. 542

Finally, I wish you good luck and I believe you’ll do your best!
 B. LEARNING ACTIVITY

SECTION-1
RIVER MORPHOLOGY IN RIVER ENGINEERING

1. INTRODUCTION
Well, In this section, we start to discuss on the basic knowledge of river morphology
particularlly in general view of how this knowledge can be used to help river
engineers in order to make river planning. In a bit more detail, this module will
consist of:
What is river morphology?
Why river morphology?
Aggradation and degradation?

Objective
Upon completion of this section, you are expected to be able to explain the role of river
morphology in river engineering planning

2. PRESENTATION
a) What is river morphology?
When you found a word “river”, I believe you will imagine water flowing on a
stream natural channel from the higher land to the sea, to other biger river or even
to lake. The key word of river is “natural”, if there is water flowing on a stream
channel which is not natural one then it should be a man made channel or usually
called an artificial channel.

Example of river

Example of
channel 

How do we distinquise whether such stream

called river or artifial channel?

I believe you already know that, based on the two pictures above, shape of a river
is more irregular compare to the artificial channel. In artificial one, top width of
the channel tends to be constant meanwhile on river is more variative. On your
right hand side, straight line is predominant compare to the left picture which is
more smoothly curvature. Artificial channel commonly used in irrigation,
navigation or flood control proposes.

As a river engineer we are not alone in learning river morphology, our friends
from physical geography as well as from earth science are quite involves in this
subject. However, they have different point of interest from us. Compare to them
we are only interested in response of the river due to such river engineering
structure or measure. We will not go deeper into geological history and process of
earth formation which make such river formed. We will back to this on the next
topic, why river morphology?

The science of geomorphology studies the forces that shape the earth's surface at
the present time. The word is formed from Greek words: geo (earth) morph (form
or shape) and logos (study or knowledge). Therefore river morphology is part of
the geomorphology science focussing on form or shape of river. Present day river
morphology are studied not only to help us understand the river features we see
today and the forces that created them, but also to help us understand the response
of the river if we change their peace by constructed such river structure.

There are several geological agents which work to shape the face of the earth:
volcanos, wind, ice, and water. As a river group we are of course interested in
water. Even more specifically, we are interested in the geological work done by
water as it flows in a stream natural channel.

Water, when rain deposits it on an upland, possesses energy. It possesses potential

energy, or the energy of position. As the water begins to flow down hill, this
potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, or the energy of motion. This
kinetic energy can be used up in various ways. For example, turbulence and
friction within the moving water uses up kinetic energy. In addition, kinetic
energy is used when the water erodes away the surface of the stream channel it is
passing through or moves sediments along the stream bed. By the time the river
ends in a standing body of water, for example when it enters a lake, all of this
kinetic energy has been converted into thermal energy, or heat energy. This heat
energy, uniformly spread through the environment, is the most degraded form of
energy and cannot accomplish anything.

Potential Energy -> Kinetic Energy -> Heat Energy

As this kinetic energy of the moving water is transformed into heat energy it
performs work, i.e. the application of force over distance. It is this physical work
that moves the water and forms the river into what we see. Geomorphologists
have begun to understand that the natural configuration or shape that a river
gradually evolves is the one that most efficiently performs the total work (the
movement of water and sediments) of the river. Meanwhile river engineer used
the knowledge to predict the river response.
Have you got the answer what is river morphology?
 b) Why River Morphology?
If you don’t know something you will not be able to manage it. I belive you will
handle mirror carefuly since you know it is fragile. It is also happen if we want to
manage a river. We have to know what kind of behaviour does river have, we
have to know what will be her response if you change her pease.

As an engineer, on behalve of modernisation, frequenly we have to build

structures in, along or on the river. For example we have to construct bridge peers

The Jamuna bridge crossing the Jamuna River in

Bangladesh: www.royalhaskooning.nl

in the river to support road way on it. Those structures will push the river change
its behaviour to a new equilibrium state (her pease). In order to ovoid
unfavourable effects we have to predict what will be responses of the river if we
do our construction.

It is better for us to know

c) Aggradation and Degradation

3. EXERCISES/ASSIGNMENT 1
Please answer following question:
1. What is river morphology?
2. Would you please distinguist the focus of river engineer and geomorphologist in
learning river morphology?
3. Why river morphology is needed for us as a river engineer?
4. What kind of effect may occure to our structure if there is degradation occure?
5. In what condition the aggradation commonly happen?

SECTION-2
EQUATIONS REGARDING RIVER MORPHOLOGY

SECTION-3
SIMPLE CASE ON 1D RIVER RESPONSE PREDICTION

CLOSING

ANSWER KEYS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. CHANG. Howard H, (1988), Fluvial Processes in River engineering, Krieger

Publishing Company, Florida. 342 pages
2. JANSEN, Ph., (1979), Principles of River Engineering: The non Tidal Alluvial
River. D.U.M., Delft, Facsimile edition 1994. Original edition Pitman, London,
Great Britain.
3. KLAASSEN, G.J, (1995), Lane’s Balance Revisited, Proc.6th International
Symposium on River Sedimentation, New Delhi-India, pp. 671-686.
4. VAN RIJN. Leo C, (1998), Principle of Sediment Transport on River and Coastal
Area, IHE delft, The Netherlands. 542