WAVE-INDUCED SEDIMENT RESUSPENSION NEAR THE SHORELINES OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER SYSTEM

Part of the Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway System Navigation Study deals with estimation of environmental impacts caused by an increase in navigation traffic. Resuspension and deposition of fine clayey sediment have a significant impact on aquatic plants and animals. The objective of the study described in this report was to estimate the sediment resuspension resulting from waves generated by towboats and recreational craft. The scope of this study was limited to (a) generalization of wave patterns for the event of vessel passage, (b) estimation of maximum suspension concentration caused by individual events of vessel passage, (c) deposition of suspended sediment, and (d) interference effect on the suspended sediment concentration caused by the passage of another vessel. The conclusions of the study are as follows: (a) a simple approach reported in this study should suffice for a preliminary estimation needed in the context of near-bank erosion of the Mississippi River; (b) a simplified approach is provided for classifying sediments based on their erodibility; (c) the report presents basic mathematical expressions and a recommended approach for estimating sediment resuspension under vessel-generated waves; (d) the proposed approach can be used for a reasonable prediction of wave-induced near-bank erosion with cohesive or noncohesive sediments without the effect of vegetation on the banks; (e) due to the complexity of real-life situations combined with the assumed simplification of the physical phenomena, the model may not give exact answers for a given site; however, it does provide consistent and reasonable estimates of suspension concentration values for evaluation of environmental impacts over large reaches of the river.

• Corporate Authors:

  Army Engineer Research and Development Center

  Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, 3909 Halls Ferry Road
  Vicksburg, MS  United States  39180-6199
• Authors:
  • Parchure, T M
  • McAnally, W H
  • Teeter, A M
• Publication Date: 2001-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 97 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aquatic life; Banks (Waterways); Boating; Clay; Environmental impacts; Erosion; Estimating; Sediments; Suspended sediments; Towboat operations; Waves
• Uncontrolled Terms: Sediment resuspension
• Geographic Terms: Mississippi River
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00814131
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: ENV Report 20,, Interim Report
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 13 2001 12:00AM