P. Branson

Partially obstructed shear flows, such as flows over submerged vegetation patches in river systems, are common in natural environments. Here, a model of a patchily‐vegetated river flow, using staggered arrays of rigid wooden dowels, is used to experimentally characterize the flow. Three‐component point velocity measurements in the cross sectional plane are used to investigate the highly nonuniform, 3D flow field in patchy vegetation and its effect on mass and momentum exchange. The cross‐sectional distribution of mean streamwise velocity varies as a consequence of the bed heterogeneity, being highly dependent on vegetation density. Asymmetric shear layers form at the vertical and lateral edges of the canopy, having different scales within the canopy and in the unvegetated region. Secondary flow cells form in the cross‐plane, with a size that decreases with increasing canopy density. The strength of the upward and downward motions is found to be greater for denser canopies. In addition to the secondary flow, additional rotating cells are observed both above the patch and next to it with increasing canopy density. A triple‐averaging procedure allowed for the quantification of the vertical advective dispersive stresses, which are up to 21% of the total shear stress. This demonstrates the significant role of secondary circulation generated by patchy vegetation in interfacial momentum exchange. Finally, the secondary circulation contribution to vertical scalar transport is estimated to be of the same order as that due to turbulent diffusion, highlighting the importance of understanding the impact of the secondary flow field on aquatic ecosystem function.