A method of preparing fluorescently labeled natural sediment particles for sediment transport determinations is described. Sediments can be taken from appropriate sites (river bed, lake bottom) tagged with various colored stains which can be adjusted to last for specified times varying from 10 days to 6―7 months. The tagged sediments are replaced at their original sites, then subsequently followed downstream. We have used three methods for quantitative measurements: (1) visual scanning and counting, (2) excitation-emission fluorescence spectroscopy, and (3) optical absorption of extracts in organic solutions. The principal results of this study are, as follows: The fluorescent tracer method is reliable for measuring bedload discharge at the mouth of the Jordan River. During floods, bedload discharge was much higher than suspended load discharge, which usually accounts for 95% or more of the total sediment discharge of the Jordan River. The bedload discharge was proportional to the fourth power of the water discharge.
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