River bend
Bend in the Green River. Green River Road is just to the left in this image.
A good size point bar on the right, where the river has deposited materials of various sizes during periods of high flow. The vegetation on this point bar gives an idea of the frequency of flooding at various micro-elevations. The grasses and shrubs growing here take some time to take root, sprout and grow. If they are flooded too frequently, or when conditons produce scour activity, the plants cannot survive. Notice also the leaves in the lower center of the photo. A number have piled up along the shore, in a quiet eddy. Leaves are of course lighter than sediment, and will easily wash away at the slightest increase in flows (or even blow away with wind). These leaves have piled up right next to (and on top of) some very fine sediments. Apparently both the leaves and the fine sediments respond to changing flow levels in much the same way - they remain afloat - or suspended in the water column - until stream velocity is at a minimum, and then they drop out, to remain there perhaps until more turbulent flows come again.
Downstream view of the same pool.