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Monitoring and prediction of sediment discharges within Town Creek watershed, MS

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  2009 Reno, Nevada, June 21 - June 24, 2009  097157.(doi:10.13031/2013.27230)
Authors:   John J Ramirez-Avila, William H McAnally, James L Martin, Sandra L Ortega-Achury, Jairo N Diaz-Ramirez
Keywords:   Sediments, water quality, streambank erosion

At least 50% of the subbasins within all the Tombigbee River basin area are considered biologically impaired due to sediments. Town Creek has 1,769 km2 and represents approximately 50% of the upper Tombigbee River basin area at Aberdeen Lock and Dam on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in Mississippi. One of the most important impacts of the estimated 320,000 ton/yr sediment yield from Town Creek watershed is the partial deposition in Aberdeen pool, where annual dredged-sediment is around 310,000 ton/yr. A study has been initiated with the objective to evaluate sediment processes in Town Creek watershed, MS and identify remedial measures to reduce water quality impairment and sediment costs. Bank erosion processes will be evaluated by establishing pin erosion plots. Two measurement stations (ISCO flow meter and ISCO autosampler) are established along the principal channel next to the bank erosion plots. The samples are taken during at least one complete year to determine seasonal variability and storm flow effects on sediment concentrations and loads. Soil sampling, in situ tests, water sampling and data collection from erosion plots will be used to determine an approach to estimate streambank erosion rates and the annual sediment load due to accelerated streambank erosion. Using measured and estimated parameter values, the model CONCEPTS will be run to predict streambank erosion and sediment transport along the entire channel. This modeling performance also would compare the realistic proportion of sediment provided for the main channel to the entire watershed sediment yield. Determining sources of sediment discharges within the watershed and the stream channel will identify potential areas for future BMP's establishment or remediation measurements.

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