Stream Head Cut

In geomorphology a stream head cut, or simply a head cut, is an erosional feature found in some intermittent and perennial streams, and together with headward erosion it marks out unstable, actively growing drainage networks such as eroding gullies. A head cut is a type of knickpoint that sits at the upstream end of a channel and can range from a modestly steep riffle to a substantial waterfall; when dry it looks like a miniature cliff or bluff, sometimes with a plunge pool scoured out at its base by the force of the water that cascades over it when flowing. Groundwater seeps and springs often emerge along the face, sides or base of a head cut, and channel incision typically accompanies its formation as the head cut migrates progressively upstream over time; stream restoration specialists regard head cuts as one of the harder features to manage, generally relying on check dams, gully filling, or sloped and armored banks to slow or halt the upstream migration of the knickpoint.