River Styles

River Styles gives a geomorphic summary of river forms and processes within a reach, to provide a geomorphic basis for decision making in river rehabilitation.  Assessment of river style is determined by channel geometry (size and shape), channel planform and the assemblage of landforms that make up a river reach (both channel and floodplain geomorphic units). Analysis of the character and condition of river styles, their downstream patterns, and their evolution, provides a biophysical basis to prioritise river management strategies.

The approach entails three stages. Stage One entails the identification, interpretation and mapping of River Styles throughout a catchment to provide a baseline survey of river character and behaviour. The second stage assesses the geomorphic condition of each reach of each style in the catchment, framed in terms of an analysis of river evolution. By placing each reach in its catchment context, its geomorphic recovery potential is determined in Stage 3. From this prediction, likely future river condition is determined and realistic target conditions for river rehabilitation programmes are identified for each reach in Stage 4, within a catchment-based vision. Working with local/regional catchment managers, a physically based procedure to prioritise management strategies for river rehabilitation and conservation is then applied.

• To describe and analyse the geomorphic character and behaviour of river reaches.

• River Style Framework for management decision making and priority setting.
• Catchment map of river styles.
• Identification of unique or rare River Styles.

• To prioritise river conservation or restoration efforts.

• Process based procedure for analysing river character and behaviour.
• Catchment based.
• The range of River Styles can be added to if required.
• Provides an initial scientific and objective basis for discussion during development of management program.

• Relies heavily on field assessments (not a desk top exercise).
• Developed for NSW coastal rivers, the range of River Styles would need to be reviewed and extended to use for other rivers.

Nested hierarchical approach using geomorphic structure and function of rivers.

Trained Provisional River Stylers, Accredited River Stylers, catchment scale mapping, longitudinal profiles and air photos.

Extensive field work is required to develop the framework.

Catchment scale mapping, longitudinal profiles, air photos, field analysis.

State and local Government agencies, natural resource managers, community groups, landowners.

Brierley, G.J. (1999). River Styles: an integrative biophysical template for river management. In I. Rutherford, & R. Bartley (Eds). Proceedings of the Second Stream Management Conference (Vol 1 pp 93-100). Melbourne: CRC for Catchment Hydrology.
Brierley, G.J., Fryirs, K., Outhet, D. & C. Massey. (2002). Application of the River Styles framework as a basis for river management in New South Wales, Australia. Applied Geography, Vol22, no1 pp91-122. 
Thomson J.R., Taylor M.P. and Brierley G.J. (2004). Are River Styles ecologically meaningful? A test of the ecological relevance of a geomorphological river charaterization scheme. Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 14: 25-48