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Calcimator

River Meandering Calculator

Migration rate from channel width and discharge.

Inputs

Results

Migration rate (m/yr)

0.06

Total migration (m)3.11
Meander wavelength (m)550
Meander amplitude (m)135
Sinuosity1.39
Cutoff risk (0-100)1.2
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Channel width (m) from a bankfull survey or aerial measurement.
  2. Enter bankfull Discharge (m³/s) from a stream gauge or regional flood-frequency estimate.
  3. Set Bank resistance (1–10): 1 for loose sand, 3 for silt-clay, 5 for cohesive clay, 10 for near-bedrock conditions.
  4. Enter Valley slope (m/m) from a DEM or topographic map (e.g., 0.001 = 1 m drop per km).
  5. Read Migration rate (m/yr) and Sinuosity to assess channel mobility, and check Cutoff risk (0–100) for oxbow formation likelihood.
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