Site 01 - Upper Kobuk River Canyon - Mainstem

Sampled on 2008-08-13, this site was on the mainstem of the Kobuk River. It was a sweeping right-hand bend gravel bar.

Physical Site Description: August 13; 8:45 AM

30-40 m; Kobuk channel width

Irregular point bar on meander with cobble gravel bar and cut bank on opposite side. Fireweed line on gravel bar with Cottonwoods and Black Spruce beyond. At head of the point bar there is an anabranch; right branch forming an island. Wall of Willows on point bar indicates ice break up line. There is a cut off shoot through middle of point bar where vegetation meets cobble gravel. Cut off shoot characterized by gravelly cobble.

Channel- ~54 m at head of point bar
Active point bar- ~17 m
Cutoff shoot- ~6-10 m

Fireweed guessed to be the water line in June. Evidence of ice scour during ice break up in cobble gravel. Cut bank 1-2 meter height at head of point bar with roots of Cottonwoods and Willow on island < .5 m depth. Further down the island there is well established Spruce.
Near the water’s edge substrate is cobble, then shifts into gravel with increasing water depth. Limited large woody debris at head of point bar. Cobble gravel drops off to sandy gravel- eddy at high water up against wall of Willows on downstream end of point bar. Mound of cobble gravel transitions into gravelly sand. Willows wrap around point bar with ~5 m distance from shore on downstream end of point bar. Ice scouring is less prevalent on this end. The cut off shoot reenters the main channel.

Location