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Whitewater Sound Dependence on Discharge and Wave Configuration at an Adjustable Wave Feature
  • Taylor A Tatum,
  • Jacob F Anderson,
  • Timothy J Ronan
Taylor A Tatum
University of Alabama

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Jacob F Anderson
Boise State University
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Timothy J Ronan
Earthscope Consortium
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Abstract

Stream acoustics has been proposed as a means of monitoring discharge and wave hazards from outside the stream channel. To better understand the dependence of sound on discharge and wave characteristics, this study analyzes discharge and infrasound data from an artificial wave feature. This feature, known as Boise Whitewater Park: Phase 1 (BWPP1), is adjusted to accommodate daily changes in recreational use and seasonal changes in irrigation demand. Significant sound is only observed when discharge exceeds ~35 m3/s, and even above that threshold the sound-discharge relationship is non-linear and inconsistent. When sound is observed, it shows consistent dependence on wave type within a given year, but the direction of this dependence varies among the three years studied (2016, 2021, and 2022). These findings support previous research that establishes discharge and stream morphology as significant controls on stream acoustics and highlights the complex, combined effects of these variables.
04 Jan 2023Submitted to ESS Open Archive
17 Jan 2023Published in ESS Open Archive