Flow Loss in Deltaic Distributaries: Impacts on Channel Hydraulics, Morphology, and Stability

The most comprehensive data sets documenting hydraulic and sediment transport regimes in the lower reaches of alluvial rivers come from systems that are managed to prevent flow loss from the channel into the overbank environment. Even moderate losses can have significant impacts on in‐channel velocity and sediment transport; therefore, a full understanding of flow loss and its effects is an important prerequisite to insights into channel function and to designing effective management strategies.