Physical form

This theme of the SWIRC assesses the stability of the river channel and how natural it is.

It incorporates measures of bank stability/erosion, the natural state of the river form and how connected it is (as influenced by artificial barriers in the river).

We collect information at different spatial scales, including

• the extent of erosion measured at a field site
• bank stability measured at a field site
• the extent of alterations to the channel form measured at a river reach (for example, the proportion of a river that has been straightened and deepened to increase flow for drainage)
• the connectivity (for fish passage and flushing) and how natural it is, considering the presence of dams, road and rail crossings, and other structures in the water.