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Document channel width sources and trust model #25

@NewGraphEnvironment

Description

@NewGraphEnvironment

Problem

fl_valley_confine() uses two independent channel width sources from different regressions, and this comes up repeatedly when users ask whether to trust the output.

The two width sources

Source Used for Formula Origin
bcfishpass channel_width channel_buffer polygon (DEM correction) exp(0.307) * (area * precip / 100000) ^ 0.458 Poisson Consulting 2021b
VCA bankfull regression Flood depth modelling (fl_flood_surface) (area ^ 0.280) * 0.196 * (precip ^ 0.355) Hall 2007 / USDA VCA

These are structurally different — Poisson uses a single exponent on a discharge proxy (area * precip), while the VCA uses independent exponents for area (0.280) and precip (0.355). They will give different widths for the same stream.

Additional complications

  • Order 1 streams have NA channel_width in bcfishpass — flooded skips these for the buffer but includes them via rasterization and flood model
  • channel_buffer = FALSE disables only the bcfishpass-derived buffer; the VCA flood model still runs with its own regression
  • Users may not realize the flood extent and channel buffer come from different models

Proposed Solution

Document this in fl_valley_confine() roxygen @details and/or the valley-confinement vignette:

References

  • bcfishpass/model/03_habitat_lateral/valley_confinement.md (line 30)
  • fwapg/extras/channel_width/sql/channel_width_modelled.sql
  • bcfishpass/docs/03_model_habitat_linear.md

Relates to NewGraphEnvironment/fresh#28
Relates to NewGraphEnvironment/fresh#29
Relates to #21

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