AbstractMeasurement and observation of rill flow and sediment transport shows that the highest discharges and sediment load are related to flow from rills developed from melting snow cover. Snow patches act as sediment traps and yield later summer flow and minor fine-textured loads. The redistribution of fine-grained sediments derived under weathering in the high-arctic regime results in thick accumulations of niveo-alluvial sediments on valley floors which are intensively homogenized by physical and biological agencies.