Recent research has suggested that given the problems associated with
more conventional methods of estimating the bed load transport rate in
dynamic rivers, measurement of the transfer of bed material, as indic
ated by changes in river channel form, may be an appropriate alternati
ve. Thus far, this methodology has been successfully employed to estim
ate medium-term bed load transport rates at the reach scale. This pape
r illustrates the potential of such a technique and extends it further
through application to the within-reach scale and estimation of spati
ally distributed patterns of bed load transport. It uses a data collec
tion technique that allows the rapid field acquisition of digital terr
ain models of river channel form. Intercomparison of digital terrain m
odels from separate lime periods allows calculation of both the total
volumes and the distributed volumes of erosion and deposition. The tot
al volumes can be combined with upstream information on sediment suppl
y to assess the contribution of a particular reach to the total bed lo
ad transport rate. The distributed information can be combined with a
likely direction of movement of material in transport to estimate the
distributed pattern of the time-averaged bed load transport rate. Both
of these approaches show a good correspondence with observed patterns
of the bed load transport rate.