Field techniques for the classification of near-bed flow regimes

SUMMARY 1 The equipment and methods needed for collecting the data required for near‐bed flow regime classification are detailed. 2 To illustrate appropriate procedures for data analysis, data collected from four cobble bed streams are used to classify near‐bed flow regimes both at the measured depth and at estimated bankfull depth. 3 Implications of the resulting classifications are discussed from a limnological perspective. It is concluded that while the biological relevance of near‐bed flow regimes has not been formally established, the terms ‘pool’, ‘run’, and ‘riffle’ are not always useful for differentiating between habitats in the near‐bed zone.