Investigating sediment loads of Iranian rivers, case study: Western Azerbaijan

Eroded soil particles within watershed areas are transported in three shape of dissolved, suspended and bed loads by river water discharge. Knowing the amount of suspended and bed loads are necessary in estimating sediment yield of watersheds. Usually, suspended load is measured daily in hydrometric stations, while this does not happen for bed load. Although, there are many differences between geology formations, rainfall intensities and water discharges of watersheds, the amount of bed loads are considered as a constant unique coefficient of suspended load. So, there would be highly errors in watersheds’ sediment load estimates. In this research, after collecting bed and suspended load data of three hydrometric stations of Badlan on Alandchay, Pol Yazdakan on Ghotourchay and Mazraeh on Baroonchay Rivers in Western Azerbaijan, the data were analyzed and best relations were fitted between bed load and suspended loads. According to statistical analysis all data had high coefficient of correlation at the level of 99 percent and the best equations were chosen accordingly. The ratio of bed to suspended load in Yazdakan, Badlan and Mazraeh stations were 79, 49 and 13 percent, respectively. This ratio was 47 percent for all three stations.