ARABIAN JOURNAL OF GEOSCIENCES, cilt.14, sa.19, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)
Amount and type of suspended sediments in streams can change over seasonal timescales and during high-flow events. The dynamics of the suspended sediment in the streams and rivers of the Mediterranean region of Turkey are not yet fully understood, as studies are limited. In this study, it is aimed to analyze the seasonal variation of suspended sediment transported over 12 months in the Korkuteli Stream to reveal the relationship between precipitation, flow, and suspended sediment. The water level of the stream recorded automatically every 10 min using an Immersion Type Level Transmitter and the water velocity were measured with a Universal Current Meter. The flow rate was estimated with a rating curve produced from the water velocity and cross-sectional data. US-DH48 depth integration sampler was used to take the suspended sediment samples and these samples analyzed in the laboratory. A significant relationship was found between flow and suspended sediment (R-2: 0.97). The amount of suspended sediment increased significantly during high flow periods. Although most of the precipitation occur in winter months, the amount and rate of suspended sediment increase significantly during the shorter flood period in summer months (e.g., May and June) due to short-term heavy precipitation. During the measurement period, the total amount of transported suspended sediment was calculated as 47246 tons, of which approximately 87% (41106 tons) was transported largely in June.