Abstract

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has developed a series of Generalized Sediment Transport computer models for Alluvial River Simulation (GSTARS) for the simulation and prediction of sediment transport, scour, and deposition process in alluvial rivers and reservoirs. GSTARS, GSTARS 2.0/2.1, and GSTARS3 are based on the stream tube concept using one-dimensional approach along stream tubes to obtain a semi-two-dimensional variation of the hydraulic conditions in rivers and reservoirs. The hydraulic conditions coupled with uneven distribution of scour and deposition among stream tubes can give a semi-three-dimensional variation of the bed geometry. The theory of minimum stream power is used to determine the optimum channel width and geometry. GSTARS, GSTARS 2.0/2.1, and GSTARS3 are intended for quasi-steady flows. GSTARS 2.1 and GSTARS3 can also model cohesive sediment transport. Examples of applications will be presented to illustrate some capabilities of using these models for solving engineering problems.

Keywords: computer model, deposition, minimum stream power, river, reservoir, scour, sediment transport, stream tube