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Title:	Sediment supply from bank caving on the Lower Mississippi River, 1765 to present
Authors:	Murray, Autumn S. Biedenharn, David S.
Keywords:	Embankments--Erosion Mississippi River Sedimentation and deposition Sediment transport Suspended sediments
Publisher:	United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Mississippi Valley Division. United States. Mississippi River Commission. Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)
Series/Report no.:	MRG&P Report (Mississippi River Geomorphology and Potamology Program (U.S.)) ; no. MRG&P Report No. 43
Abstract:	Bank caving rates and associated total sediment supply were calculated along the Lower Mississippi River from Cairo, IL, to Baton Rouge, LA, using historical maps between 1765 and 1992. Comparison of these maps reveals that the added sediment loads from bank erosion have greatly declined through time. During the Pre-cutoff period (1765–1931), the cumulative sediment supply from bank caving between Cairo, IL, and Baton Rouge, LA, ranged from about 395 million cubic yards/year (MCY/yr) to 535 MCY/yr with a median value of approximately 470 MCY/yr. The 1880-1931 period had the highest rate of sediment supply from bank caving with a median value of approximately 610 MCY/yr. By the 1990s, the sediment supply from bank erosion was essentially eliminated as a result of the revetment program, with significant erosion being observed at only a few locations, totaling approximately 17 MCY/yr. This equates to approximately a 96% reduction in the amount of total sediment being supplied to the channel system from bank erosion.
Description:	MRG&P Report
Gov't Doc #:	MRG&P Report No. 43
Rights:	Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited
URI:	https://hdl.handle.net/11681/45281 http://dx.doi.org/10.21079/11681/45281
Appears in Collections:	MRG&P Report