Lower Mississippi River Environmental Program. Report 5. Physical and Hydrologic Characteristics of Aquatic Habitat Associated with Dike Systems in the Lower Mississippi River, River Mile 320 to 610, AHP.
Abstract
Results of the investigation indicated that there is a significant amount of aquatic habitat found within dike systems (pool habitat) and associated sandbars. Total aquatic habitat surface area ranged from 10,971 acres at a 0-foot LWRP river stage to 25,778 acres at a stage of +15 feet LWRP for pool areas, and from 14,404 acres to 23,599 acres at these river stages in sandbars associated with dike systems. These data were based on hydrographic surveys taken in dike systems between 1978 and 1982. Four main types of dike structures were present in the river: transverse, L-head, vane, and stone-filled pile. A total of 156 individual dike structures had been constructed through 1982, with a total length of 60.1 miles. Transverse dikes constitute 77 percent of the dikes that have been built. Hydrologic analyses based on a 29-year period of record indicated that dike system pool habitat is relatively unstable during the river's low-flow period in the summer and fall (July through December); average number of days per event or occurrence of pool habitat in three 5-foot river stage intervals ranged from 7 to 11 days with 3.88 to 5.15 events per year. An estimated 54.5 to 100 percent of the total quantity of dike structure is inundated an average of 79 percent of the time during the river's high-flow period (January through June).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA172601
Entities
People
- Aubrey D. Magoun
- Stephen P. Cobb
Organizations
- United States Army Corps of Engineers