Investigation the Effect of Sand and Gravel Mining on Bed Sediment Morphometric Characteristics (Case Study: Zaremrood River, Mazandaran Province)

Sand and gravel mining from the most of our country rivers causes morphological, hydrological and geomorphological changes in these rivers. This study investigates the effects of removal of sand and gravel from the river bed on sedimentological features of Zaremrood River in Mazandaran province. For this purpose, by determining four sections before and four sections after the sand removing point, the river bed sediments sampling in combined approach and in a plot within the river were performed and sedimentology features such as the large, medium and small diameters (a, b and c), roundness (Rc), form factor (Sf), normal diameter (D), sphericity (S), and width ratio (W), were measured and calculated in the laboratory and analyzed by SPSS software. The results showed that the variations of sediment statistics a, b, c, Sf, D, S and W in the pre- and post- harvest location has a significant difference but the Rc statistic does not show any significant difference. The reduction of the triple diameters after the excavation site is caused by the fracture of the sediments in the mining area, so that the sphericity of grains also decreased in the mining area. Roundness of sediment particles after the excavation site is decreasing up to 600 meters reach and then it tends to increase.