Title: An investigation of how discharge influences the amount and size of

the bed load of the Negro River in St. Thomas Jamaica.

Candidate Name: Shomari Fagan

Country:

Jamaica

Centre:

Camperdown High

Centre Number:

100015

Year of Exam:

2012

It has been shown that the discharge along with the bed load of a

river varies as it travels down stream. The purpose if this Internal Assessment (I.A.) is to
determine the changes in discharge and the bed load of the Negro River from its upper
course to its lower course and to account for how the discharge influences the materials
transported. This will be done by calculating the velocity along with the cross sectional
area and collecting samples of the bed load within the river at different points along the
rivers course.

On February the 16th 2012, the courses of the Negro River in St.
Thomas Jamaica were visited, from its upper course in Cedar Valley to its middle course
in New Monk Land and finally its lower courses in Danvers Pen and York. The river was
visited during the late morning and early afternoon. At this time the river was in its low
peak flow stage. It was at these points where several measurements were done in order to
collect the primary data needed to complete this I.A. Such measurements included the
cross sectional area of each course along with the velocity of the course. Samples of the
bed load were also collected and analyzed.
The velocity was calculated by choosing a specific distance in the river channel
for each courses and allowing a ball to flow from on point of the distance chosen to the
next and the time for this recorded. This was done several times in order to get an average
time for the balls journey.
The cross sectional area was calculated by measuring the width and average depth
of the river channel. The width was measured by stretching on end of the tape measure
from one bank of the river to the next and the distance obtained recorded. The depth was
calculated by using the meter rule and the tape measure. The tape measure was stretched
horizontally across the river channel and the rule place in the water and the depth at
different intervals (10cm in Cedar Valley, 10cm in New Monkland, 0.5m in Danvers Pen)
on the tape measure recorded.
20 random stones were taken from the bed load at each course of the river and the
width and length of each measured. This was done to determine the various changes in
the size of the bed load as it goes downstream.

The Negro river is located on the south coast of Jamaica in the parish of St. Thomas. The
source of the river is located within the Blue Mountains. The river has latitude of 17.98
degrees and longitude of -76.65 degrees. The stream is 75km east of the approximate
centre of Jamaica and 19km east of the countrys capital Kingston. The drainage basin
size of the river is approximately 160km squared and has an average height of 225 meters
above sea level. The river joins the larger West Arm of the Morant River in Seaforth
which later empties into the sea at Morant Bay.

Characteristics of the River Valley at different points along its course

Cedar Valley

This area can be considered as the upper course of the river valley due to several
factors. Such factors include:
1. The sizes of the bed load in the river. The materials present at Cedar Valley
averaged sizes of those similar to boulders. Average sizes included the long axis
of the material being 7.5cm and the short axis being 5.9cm. These figures
represent the average sizes of the bed load material in the upper course of a river.
Figure 2 shows the boulder size materials at cedar valley with the upper course of
the river.

Boulder
size
materiasl

Figure 2 shows the boulder like materials present at cedar valley.

2. The width and depth of the river. The width of the river was found to be very
narrow at Cedar Valley and the depth was found to be shallow in this area as well.
These factors are characteristics of any typical river making this area the upper
course of the river.

3. The flow of the river. At this point of the river turbulent flow was present. This
type of flow is mainly present in the upper course of a river channel. This type of
flow can be shown in figure 3 below.

Turbulent
flow

Figure 3 shows turbulent flow of the river at Cedar Valley.

4. The gradient of the valley sides. The gradient of the valley sides in the area we
found to be very steep. Steep valley sides are found in the upper course of a river.
Figure 4 below show s the steep valley sides of the river.

Steep Valley
sides

New Monkland

Newmonk land shared similar characteristics to that of Cedar Valley, this make the
area a part of the rivers upper course. Similarly the area had:
1. The area had boulder size bed load materials present as well in the river channel
averaging size n the long axis of 7cm and short axis of 6cm. figure 5 shows the
boulder size materials present in the river channel at New Monkland.

Boulder size
bed load

Figure 5 shows the bed load materials present in New Monkland.

2. The width and the depth of the river channel in this area were similar to that of
Cedar valley. The width of the river channel was narrow and the depth shallow.
3. Turbulent flow was also present in this area as it was also present in cedar valley.
Figure 6 below shows turbulent flow within the river channel.

Turbulent
flow

Figure 6 shows turbulent flow in the New Monkland area of the river channel.

4. The gradient of the valley sides. At this location the valley sides were found to be
relatively steep. Steep valley sides are found in the upper course of a river.

Danvers Pen
This area can be considered the middle course of the river due to several factors. Such
factors include:
1. The sizes of the bed load materials. The bed load had decreased in size and was
now averaging sizes of stones and gravel. Theses sizes are normally found in the
middle course of a typical river valley. Figure 7 below shows the stone and gravel
size materials present in the river channel.

Gravel and stone

size materials

Figure 7 shows the materials present at Danvers Pen.

2. The width and depth of the river valley. The width of the river valley had become
widen becoming almost broad. The depth had changed as well, becoming less shallow
to near deep. Figure 8 below shows the widen width of the river channel in Danvers
Penn.

Widen river
channel.

Figure 8 shows the widen river channel in Danvers Pen.

3. The flow of the river at. At this point the flow of the river had less turbulence in its
flow where it almost became gentle.
4. The gradient of the river valley had decreased as well. The valley sides had
become more opened where it almost had a gentle appearance.

York
This area can be considered the lower course of the river due to several factors. These
factors include:
1. The size of the materials of the bed load. The size of the bed load materials had
decreased and averaged the smallest of the three locations. These sizes are the
general size of materials in the lower course of a typical river.
2. The width and depth of the river channel. The width of the river channel had
become broad and the depth had become deep.
3. The flow of the river. The flow the river at this point had become gentle and little
or no turbulent flow was present. The flow can be considered to be calm.
4. The gradient of the river sides. The valley sides had open up making the land
become flat. The valley sides of a typical river become flat in the lower course of
the river,

Cross sectional area

The cross sectional area of a river is the product of the average depth and width of the
river channel. The table below shows the changes in the depth and width of the river
channel.

Location

Average depth(cm)

Average width(cm)

Cross sectional

Cedar valley

190

13.2

area(cm2)
203.2

Newmonk land

789

18.4

14,352

Danvers pen

840

20.2

16,994

York

1200

28.7

34,440

Velocity
The velocity of a river can be considered to be the flow of water over a specific distance
per unit average time. The table below shows the changes in velocity of the river along its
course.
Location

Velocity (cms-1)

Cedar Valley

53

New Monkland

71

Danvers Pen

120

York

143

DISCHARGE
The discharge of a river is the flow of water as it passes a particular point within the river
channel along its course. This can be calculated by multiplying the cross sectional area of
that point in the river with its average velocity. The table below shows the change in
discharge of the river as it travels downstream.

Location

Discharge (cm3/s)

Cedar Valley

107.7

New Monkland

10, 189.9

Danvers Pen

20, 392.8

York

49, 249.2

BEDLOAD
The bed load of a river is the particles or materials that are transported along the bed of
the river. The river below shows the change in the sizes of bed load materials within the
river channel as it travels down stream.

From the data presentation is was noticeable that several changes were evident
along the course of the river. Several factors can be held accountable for these changes in
the cross sectional area, velocity, discharge, and bed load materials. These factors will be
discussed below. The table below gives a general summary of the changes within the
river channel.

Location

Cross sectional

Cedar Valley

area (cm2)
203.2

New Monkland

14,352

Danvers Pen

16,994

York

34,440

Cross Sectional Area

Velocity (ms-1)

Discharge
(cm3/s)

Bed load size

Several factors can be held accountable for the change in the cross sectional area of
the river channel. The main factor has been erosion from the flowing water. From the
data it was seen where the velocity had increase down stream. This increase in velocity
led to an increase the rate of erosion. Erosion is what causes both the width and the depth
of the river valley to increase by cutting away the sides of the banks of the river along
with its bed causing an increase in the size of both thus increasing the cross sectional area
of the river channel. Other factors can be held accountable for this increase. Such factors
include the material that are transported also causes some amount of erosion. By this the
materials bounce along the bed and bank of the river channel when been transported,
overtime this causes these surface areas to ware away increasing the width and the depth.