As dam removal is increasingly used as a tool to restore rivers, developing a conceptual and field-based understanding of the upstream fluvial response is critical. Using empirical data and modeling, I investigated the spatial and temporal pattern of reservoir sediment erosion and upstream channel evolution of the Blackfoot River, MT, following the 8 m base level reduction caused by the removal of Milltown Dam. Field data collected include surveys of channel bed topography and water surface elevation profiles which were integrated into a flow modeling approach. Headward erosion extended 4.5 km upstream of the dam site during the first five months following the dam removal. In the lower 1.8 km of the reservoir, up to 3 m of highly mobile [...]
