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<p>Artificial riffles are increasingly used in river renaturalization to stabilize incised channels and enhance habitat diversity. However, their long-term structural stability remains under-researched, particularly in reservoir-impacted systems. This study evaluates the nine-year persistence of 12 artificial and 4 seminatural riffles in the regulated upland Bóbr River (Poland) using RTK GPS field surveys, hydraulic and grain size measurements, and hydromorphological assessments (River Habitat Survey). The results demonstrate a clear divergence in evolution based on construction quality. Well-executed riffles (n = 6) maintained high morphological and hydraulic stability (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.05) throughout the monitoring period (2015–2023). In contrast, poorly-executed structures (n = 10) underwent significant degradation, characterized by a significant increase in mean channel depth (<i>p</i> = 0.037) and flow velocity (<i>p</i> = 0.014). In these structures, the winnowing of finer fractions led to a coarsening of the substrate, with the median grain size of the riffle runs increasing from 35&#xa0;mm to 78&#xa0;mm, resulting in a fragmented ‘dragon’s teeth’ morphology. While artificial riffles proved to be a durable and nature-friendly alternative to traditional bed-stabilization works, their long-term success is strictly dependent on adherence to design grain size distributions (D<sub>50</sub>, D<sub>84</sub>) and proper substrate mixing. These findings provide critical technical benchmarks for the sustainable renaturalization of incised, gravel-bed upland rivers.</p>

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Artificial riffles as a driver of bed morphology enrichment in a trained upland river

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月24日

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  • Paweł Mikuś,
  • Szymon Jusik,
  • Przemysław Nawrocki,
  • Karol Pietruczuk

摘要

Artificial riffles are increasingly used in river renaturalization to stabilize incised channels and enhance habitat diversity. However, their long-term structural stability remains under-researched, particularly in reservoir-impacted systems. This study evaluates the nine-year persistence of 12 artificial and 4 seminatural riffles in the regulated upland Bóbr River (Poland) using RTK GPS field surveys, hydraulic and grain size measurements, and hydromorphological assessments (River Habitat Survey). The results demonstrate a clear divergence in evolution based on construction quality. Well-executed riffles (n = 6) maintained high morphological and hydraulic stability (p > 0.05) throughout the monitoring period (2015–2023). In contrast, poorly-executed structures (n = 10) underwent significant degradation, characterized by a significant increase in mean channel depth (p = 0.037) and flow velocity (p = 0.014). In these structures, the winnowing of finer fractions led to a coarsening of the substrate, with the median grain size of the riffle runs increasing from 35 mm to 78 mm, resulting in a fragmented ‘dragon’s teeth’ morphology. While artificial riffles proved to be a durable and nature-friendly alternative to traditional bed-stabilization works, their long-term success is strictly dependent on adherence to design grain size distributions (D50, D84) and proper substrate mixing. These findings provide critical technical benchmarks for the sustainable renaturalization of incised, gravel-bed upland rivers.