Appendix 2.

Diagnostic channel keys

Riffle-pool: RP_g-w

Degraded	Stable	Aggraded
Morphology:
Extensive riffles and runs	Repeating riffle-bar-pool sequences	Extensive riffles, runs and bars
Small shallow pools(due to erosion of riffle crests)	Diverse pool size, shape, and depth	Small, shallow pools (due to depositional infilling)
Pools represent approximately 15% of the channel	Pools represent 50-70% of the channel	Pools represent approximately 15% of the channel
One main channel	One or two main channels	Multiple channels on braided bed surface
Simple, uniform riffle and run shapes	Diverse riffle shapes	Simple, uniform riffle and run shapes (minimal depth variability)
Limited side-channel bars	Mainly diagonal and point bars	Mainly mid-channel bars elevated above surrounding bank tops
Bed sediment:
Mainly cobbles and coarser textures	Gravel and cobble	Mainly gravel and finer textures
Banks:
Mainly cobbles and gravel	Mainly cobbles, gravel, and sand	Mainly gravels, sand, and cobbles
Banks primarily sloping and/or overhanging	Large proportion of vegetated undercut or overhanging banks	Extensive bank erosion (commonly complete absence of undercut banks)
LWD:
Limited. Any LWD present is small, oriented parallel to the banks, and elevated above the channel	Abundant. Most LWD is incorporated into the channel and oriented perpendicular to the banks	Absent or buried. Any LWD present is small and oriented parallel to the banks