Sediment Transfer through the Fluvial System (Proceedings of a symposium held in Moscow, August 2004). IAHS Publ. 288, 2004, 107–114

Abstract Concern for problems associated with increased fine sediment loads in British rivers has focussed attention on the source of the sediment. Available evidence suggests that much of the sediment is derived from erosion of agricultural land and this has in turn directed attention to both rates of soil loss from agricultural land and the connectivity between the catchment surface and the channel network. In order to provide a basis for identifying problem areas and to underpin the development of effective sediment control strategies, the need to provide a national-scale assessment of slope–channel connectivity has been identified. The basis for developing a preliminary national-scale assessment of slope–channel connectivity, based on readily available national data sets and a 1 km ´ 1 km grid is described.

Key words connectivity; connectivity index; connectivity ratio; sediment delivery; slope-channel connectivity