Assessment of erosion and settling properties of fine sediments stored in cobble bed rivers: the Arc and Isère alpine rivers before and after reservoir flushing

Abstract Cohesive sediment dynamics in mountainous rivers is poorly understood even though these rivers are the main providers of fine particles to the oceans. Complex interactions exist between the coarse matrix of cobble bed rivers and fine sediments. Given that fine sediment load in such environments can be very high due to intense natural rainfall or snowmelt events and to man‐induced reservoir or dam flushing, a better understanding of the …