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ERDC/CRREL TR-02-14
locations with substantial changes in alignment, such as sharp bends, point bars,
and portions of a channel confluence, are especially prone to ice run gouging and
abrasion. There is a little information on how ice runs affect the morphology of
these sites.
Ice run gouging and abrasion have an important, though not yet quantified,
effect on riparian vegetation that, in turn, may affect riverbank erosion and
channel shifting. Where ice runs occur nearly every year, riparian vegetation
communities have difficulty getting established. Ice abrasion and ice jam flood-
ing may also suppress certain vegetation types along riverbanks.