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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/4263| Title: | Environmental analysis and assessment of the Mississippi River 9-ft channel project between St. Louis, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois |
| Authors: | Johnson, Jeffrey H. Solomon, R. Charles Bingham, C. Rex. Colbert, Billy K. Emge, William P. Mathis, David B. Hall, Ross W. |
| Keywords: | Channel contractions Channel improvements Environmental assessments Middle Mississippi River Mississippi River |
| Publisher: | U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station |
| Series/Report no.: | Technical Report (Environmental Effects Laboratory (U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station)) ; no. Y-74-1 |
| Abstract: | The Mississippi River 9- ft channel project was authorized by the River and Harbor Acts of 21 January 1927 and 3 July 1930, for the purpose of obtaining and maintaining a 9-by 300-ft channel for navigation from the confluence of the Missouri River (St. Louis, Missouri) to the confluence of the Ohio River (Cairo, Illinois). The main channel will be contracted to 1500 ft between riverward ends of dikes throughout the study area in order to maintain the 9-ft depth during periods of low flow. A comprehensive study of the historical geomorphology supplemented by physical models of the river and side channels was made by Colorado State University to determine the physical impact of river contraction works on river morphology and behavior. An intensive study of the terrestrial flora and fauna was conducted by Southern Illinois University to inventory the existing organisms and communities located in the unprotected floodplain and to assess the impacts of operation and maintenance activities on these organisms and communities. In addition, the aquatic flora and fauna were studied by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Waterways Experiment Station to inventory the aquatic communities present in the study area and to assess the importance of side channels to the riverine ecosystem. Biological, physical, chemical, and morphometric data, collected from side channels and river border areas, were subjected to various statistical analyses. The relative biological importance of each side channel established by ranking procedures provided a rational choice of those side channels that could provide maximum benefit to the river's ecology. Operation and maintenance activities of the St. Louis District in the Middle Mississippi include maintenance dredging, disposal of dredged material, and construction and maintenance of levees, dikes, and bank revetments. These activities were examined and the potential environmental impacts resulting there from were discussed. Based upon the overall results of these studies, the need for new and more intensive studies was obvious. These additional studies would define to a greater degree the impacts of the 9-ft channel on the environment. |
| Description: | Technical Report |
| Gov't Doc #: | Technical Report Y-74-1 |
| Rights: | Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/4263 |
| Size: | 149 pages/24.1 MBs |
| Types of Materials: | |
| Appears in Collections: | Technical Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TR-Y-74-1.pdf | Technical Report Y-74-1 | 24.75 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |