Small Bedload Sampler

Named for co-inventors Ed Helley and Winchell Smith; built in the 1960s by Vigus and Lyle, machinists in the Geology Department of the University of California, Berkeley. This sampler was first used in California and later at several locations around the country. Bedload samplers are used to sample sand, silt, gravel or rock debris carried by a stream or immediately above the stream bed. This sampler weighs 65 lb, larger versions weigh over 100 lb.
Object ID: USGS-000760