Bankfull Discharge Recurrence Interval in Gravel-bed Rivers

Bankfull discharge was identified in some 30 gravel-bed rivers representing in total c. 40 gauging stations. The catchment sizes cary from 4km2 to nearly 2700km2. Bankfull discharge value increases with basin size. In the case of gravel-bed rivers developed on an impermeable substratum, the following equation emerges: Qb=0·087 A1·044. Bankfull discharge recurrence interval was determined by fitting maximum annual floods (Ta) into Gumbel's distribution and then using the partial duration series (Tp) in this same distribution. Recurrence interval is below 0·7 years (Tp) for small pebble-bed rivers developed on an impermeable substratum; it reaches 1·1 to 1·5 years when the catchment size of these rivers exceeds 250km2. Rivers incised in the soft schists of the Famenne show larger channel capacity at bankfull stage, a small width/depth ratio and thus higher recurrence intervals (1·4–5·3 years with Ta and 1–4·4 years with Tp). Baseflow-dominated gravel-bed streams and sandy or silty rivers experience less frequent bankfull discharges, with a recurrence interval higher than 2 or even 3 years (Tp).