In this study, numerical experimentation with two-dimensional hydraulic modeling of pool–riffle river topography drawing on the testbed data from the classic Keller (1971) study was used to investigate the effect of synthetically manipulating topography on the occurrence and magnitude of velocity and Shields stress reversals in a pool–riffle sequence. Reversals in velocity and shear stress have been used to explore mechanisms of pool–riffle maintenance, while Shields stress (a combined measure of transport capacity and substrate erodibility) is emerging in importance. The original site topography was modeled alongside six altered ones to evaluate the sensitivity of hydraulic reversals to subtle morphology — five incrementally wider pools and a filled pool...