Geology topics

Richard J. Huizinga

Publications and source records attributed to Richard J. Huizinga.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2026

Special Contributing Area Loading Program user’s manual

Information on the Special Contributing Area Loading Program execution and functions are presented in this user’s manual. An appendix presents a potential improvement for the user to consider. The hydrologic routing simulation method to model flow through multiple reservoirs, or sewer system components, is described. The use of Special Contributing Areas is described to run a successful simulation, which includes user input of hydrologic time series of flow components and the necessary formats. Upon completion of a successful Special Contributing Area Loading Program simulation, the program outputs hydrologic time series and a descriptive text file containing the model results for each defined sub-unit, or Special Contributing Area. The output time series contain flows through, and overflows from, the three reservoirs in the series, and the text file contains input and output path locations.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2026

Bathymetric and velocimetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri River near Kansas City, Missouri, August 8–9, 2023

Bathymetric and velocimetric data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, near 8 bridge crossings of the Missouri River near Kansas City, Missouri, on August 8–9, 2023. A multibeam echosounder mapping system was used to obtain channel-bed elevations for river reaches that extended about 1,550 to 1,640 feet longitudinally and generally extended laterally across the active channel from bank to bank during low floodflow to nonflood conditions. These surveys provided the channel geometry and hydraulic conditions of the river at the time of the surveys and provided characteristics of scour holes, which may be useful in developing or verifying predictive guidelines or equations for computing potential scour depth. The data collected from the surveys may also be useful to the Missouri Department of Transportation as a record of low floodflow conditions in regards to the stability and integrity of the bridges with respect to bridge scour. Bathymetric data were collected around every in-channel pier. Scour holes were at most piers where bathymetry could be obtained, except for those piers on banks or surrounded by riprap. All the bridge sites in this study were surveyed and documented in previous studies. The average difference between the bathymetric surfaces ranged from 0.07 to 4.16 feet higher in 2023 than 2019, which indicates overall deposition between the survey dates, as might be expected based purely on streamflow at the time of the survey. However, the average difference between the bathymetric surfaces ranged from 1.44 feet higher to 1.88 feet lower in 2023 than 2015, which indicates a dynamic equilibrium of scour and deposition overall between those surveys, despite the lower flow conditions in 2023. Similarly, the average difference between the bathymetric surfaces ranged from 3.18 feet higher to 5.19 feet lower in 2023 than 2011, which indicates a relative equilibrium between scour and deposition overall, albeit the trend was toward scour as might be expected because of the substantial flood event in 2011. Riprap blankets and alignment to flow had a substantial effect on the size of the scour hole for a given pier. Piers that were partially or fully surrounded by riprap blankets had scour holes that were substantially smaller (to nonexistent) compared to piers with no rock or riprap and effectively mitigated the scour holes historically observed at these piers. Several of the structures had piers that were skewed to primary approach flow. At most of the structures, the scour hole was deeper and longer on the side of the pier with impinging flow than the leeward side, with some amount of deposition on the leeward side, as typically observed at piers skewed to approach flow.

Kansas, Missouri↗

USGS2025

Bathymetric contour maps, surface area and capacity tables, and bathymetric change maps for selected water-supply lakes in Missouri, 2022–23

Bathymetric data were collected at 13 water-supply lakes around the periphery of Missouri by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and various local agencies, as part of a multiyear effort to establish or update the surface area and capacity tables for the surveyed lakes. Surveys were carried out during the months of April and May in 2022 and 2023. All but two of the lakes had been surveyed previously by the U.S. Geological Survey, and the recent surveys were compared to the earlier surveys to document the changes in the bathymetric surface and capacity of the lake. Bathymetric data were collected using a high-resolution multibeam mapping system mounted on a boat. Supplemental depth data at three of the lakes were collected in shallow areas with an acoustic Doppler current profiler on a remote-controlled boat. Data points from the various sources were exported at a gridded data resolution appropriate to each lake, either 0.82 foot, 1.64 feet, or 3.28 feet. Data outside the multibeam survey extent and greater than the surveyed water-surface elevation were obtained from data collected using aerial light detection and ranging (lidar) point cloud data. A linear enforcement technique was used to add points to the dataset in areas of sparse data (the upper ends of coves where the water was shallow or aquatic vegetation precluded data acquisition) based on surrounding multibeam and upland data values. The various point datasets were used to produce a three-dimensional triangulated irregular network surface of the lake-bottom elevations for each lake. A surface area and capacity table was produced from the three-dimensional surface for each lake showing surface area and capacity at specified lake water-surface elevations. Various quality-assurance tests were conducted to ensure quality data were collected with the multibeam, including beam angle checks and patch tests. Additional quality-assurance tests were conducted on the gridded bathymetric data from the survey, the bathymetric surface created from the gridded data, and the contours created from the bathymetric survey.

Missouri↗

USGS2024

Bathymetric and velocimetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers on the periphery of Missouri, June 13–22, 2022

Bathymetric and velocimetric data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, near seven bridges at six highway crossings of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers on the periphery of Missouri from June 13–22, 2022. A multibeam echosounder mapping system was used to obtain channel-bed elevations for river reaches about 1,640 feet longitudinally and generally extending laterally across the active channel from bank to bank during minor flood-flow conditions. These surveys provided channel geometry and hydraulic conditions at the time of the surveys and provided characteristics of scour holes that may be useful in developing or verifying predictive guidelines or equations for computing potential scour depth. These data also may be useful to the Missouri Department of Transportation as a minor flood-flow assessment of the bridges for stability and integrity issues with respect to bridge scour during floods. Bathymetric data were collected around every in-channel pier. Scour holes were present at most piers for which bathymetry could be obtained, except those on banks or surrounded by riprap. Occasionally, scour holes were minor and difficult to discern from nearby dunes and ripples. All bridge sites in this study were surveyed and documented in previous studies. Although partial exposure of substructural support elements was observed at several piers, at most sites the exposure most likely is minimal compared to the overall substructure that remains buried in bed material at these piers. The notable exceptions are piers 12 and 13 at structure L0135 on State Highway 51 at Chester, Illinois, where the bedrock material was fully exposed around the piers. The average difference between the bathymetric surfaces between 2022 and 2018 varied from 0.41 foot higher to 1.86 feet lower. Between 2022 and 2014, the average difference between the bathymetric surfaces varied from 1.02 feet higher to 4.69 feet lower. Only the two sites on the Missouri River and the Caruthersville site were surveyed in 2011; for those sites, the average difference between the bathymetric surfaces varied from 5.83 feet higher to 1.34 feet lower. The most substantial overall net gain of sediment in a reach was between 2011 and 2022 at structure A1700 near Caruthersville, Mo. (site 38). This result was expected because structure A1700 is downstream from the confluences of the Missouri and Ohio Rivers, and therefore subject to the largest streamflows, the largest streamflow fluctuations, and the most substantial sediment flux, as has historically been observed at this site. The presence of riprap blankets, pier size and nose shape, and alignment to flow had a substantial effect on the size of the scour hole observed for a given pier. Piers that were surrounded by riprap blankets had scour holes that were substantially smaller (to nonexistent) compared to piers at which no rock or riprap were present. New riprap blankets were surveyed at pier 3 of structure L0098 at Brownville, Nebraska, and at piers 15–18 of structure A1700 near Caruthersville, Mo., that effectively mitigated the scour holes historically observed at these piers. Narrow piers having round or sharp noses that were aligned with flow often had scour holes that were difficult to discern from nearby bed features, whereas piers having wide or blunt noses resulted in larger, deeper scour holes. Several of the structures had piers that were skewed to primary approach flow. Scour holes near these piers consistently displayed greater depth on the side of the pier with impinging flow and deposition on the leeward side of the pier.

Missouri↗

USGS2024

Bathymetric and velocimetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri River between Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, May 19–26, 2021

Bathymetric and velocimetric data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, near nine bridges at eight highway crossings of the Missouri River between Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, from May 19 to 26, 2021. A multibeam echosounder mapping system was used to obtain channel-bed elevations for river reaches about 1,640 to 1,840 feet (ft) longitudinally and generally extending laterally across the active channel from bank to bank during low to moderate flood-flow conditions. These surveys provided channel geometry and hydraulic conditions at the time of the surveys and provided characteristics of scour holes that may be useful in developing or verifying predictive guidelines or equations for computing potential scour depth. These data also may be useful to the Missouri Department of Transportation as a low to moderate flood-flow assessment of the bridges for stability and integrity issues with respect to bridge scour during floods. Bathymetric data were collected around every in-channel pier. Scour holes were present at most piers for which bathymetry could be obtained, except those on banks or surrounded by riprap. Occasionally, scour holes were minor and difficult to discern from nearby dunes and ripples. All the bridge sites in this study were previously surveyed and documented in previous studies. Comparisons between bathymetric surfaces from the previous surveys and those of the current (2021) study do not indicate any consistent correlation between channel-bed elevations and streamflow conditions. The average difference between the bathymetric surfaces varied from 1.59 ft higher to 0.95 ft lower in 2021 than 2017, which corresponds to a gain of 100,200 cubic yards and a loss of 55,800 cubic yards, respectively. The average difference between the bathymetric surfaces varied from 2.74 ft higher to 3.05 ft lower in 2021 than 2013, which corresponds to a gain of 111,500 cubic yards and a loss of 169,200 cubic yards, respectively. The average difference between the bathymetric surfaces varied from 4.52 ft higher to 1.38 ft lower in 2021 than 2011, which corresponds to a gain of 221,100 cubic yards and a loss of 90,300 cubic yards, respectively. The most substantial overall net gain was 221,100 cubic yards between 2011 and 2021 at structures L0550 and A4497 at Jefferson City (site 20). The large net gain likely results from a combination of the mitigation of the scour holes near pier 4 of both bridges and the substantially lower flow in 2021 than in 2011. Alternatively, the most substantial overall net loss was 169,200 cubic yards between 2013 and 2021 at structure A6288 at Hermann (site 21), despite comparable streamflows. Pier size, nose shape, and skew to approach flow had a substantial effect on the size of the scour hole observed at a given pier. Larger and deeper scour holes were present at piers with wide or blunt noses caused by exposed footings or caissons. When a pier was skewed to primary approach flow, the scour hole was generally deeper and larger than at a similar pier without skew; furthermore, the shape of the scour hole near skewed piers in this study generally was longer and deeper on the side with impinging flow. At structure A6288 at Hermann (site 21), the scour hole near pier 5 was difficult to discern from nearby dunes and ripples, whereas the upstream edge of the footing was visible at pier 4, which likely contributes to the larger scour hole near that pier; the top of the footing may blunt the horseshoe vortex at pier 5, but the exposed front of the footing may exacerbate the vortex at pier 4.

Missouri↗

USGS2023

Bathymetric contour maps, surface area and capacity tables, and bathymetric change maps for selected water-supply lakes in northeastern Missouri, 2021

Bathymetric data were collected at 12 water-supply lakes in northeastern Missouri by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) and various local agencies, as part of a multiyear effort to establish or update the surface area and capacity tables for the surveyed lakes. The lakes were surveyed in March through May 2021. Ten of the lakes had been surveyed previously by the USGS, and the recent surveys were compared to the earlier surveys to document the changes in the bathymetric surface and capacity of the lakes. Bathymetric data were collected using a high-resolution multibeam mapping system mounted on a boat. Supplemental depth data at five of the lakes were collected in shallow areas with an acoustic Doppler current profiler on a remote-controlled boat. Data points from the various sources were exported at a gridded data resolution appropriate to each lake, either 0.82 foot, 1.64 feet, or 3.28 feet. Data outside the multibeam survey extent and greater than the surveyed water-surface elevation were obtained from data collected using aerial light detection and ranging (lidar) point cloud data. A linear enforcement technique was used to add points to the dataset in areas of sparse data (the upper ends of coves where the water was shallow or aquatic vegetation precluded data acquisition) based on surrounding multibeam and upland data values. The various point datasets were used to produce a three-dimensional triangulated irregular network surface of the lake-bottom elevations for each lake. A surface area and capacity table was produced from the three-dimensional surface for each lake showing surface area and capacity at specified lake water-surface elevations. Various quality-assurance tests were conducted to ensure quality data were collected with the multibeam, including beam angle checks and patch tests. Additional quality-assurance tests were conducted on the gridded bathymetric data from the survey, the bathymetric surface created from the gridded data, and the contours created from the bathymetric survey. If there were data from a previous bathymetric survey for a given lake, a bathymetric change map was generated from the elevation difference between the previous survey and the 2021 bathymetric survey data points. After reconciling any vertical datum disagreement between the previous survey data and the 2021 survey datum, coincident points between the surveys were identified, and a bathymetric change map was generated using the coincident point data. The mean elevation change between all repeat surveys at most lakes was positive, indicating sedimentation. Relative to previous surveys, the change in capacity at the primary spillway elevation ranged from a 7.7-percent decrease at Memphis Reservoir to a 3.9-percent increase at Old Lake (Bowling Green West). The mean bathymetric change ranged from 0.03 foot at Hazel Creek and 0.07 foot at Shelbina Lake and Bowling Green Reservoir (Jack Floyd Memorial Lake) to 0.63 at Memphis Lake (Lake Showme) and 0.88 at Memphis Reservoir. The time-averaged mean bathymetric change ranged from 0.002 foot per year at Hazel Creek Lake to 0.044 foot per year at Memphis Reservoir. The computed volumetric sedimentation rate generally ranged from 0.14 to 6.80 acre-feet per year at Shelbina Lake and Memphis Lake (Lake Showme), respectively; however, Forest Lake had a substantially larger sedimentation rate of 17.0 acre-feet per year. Some changes observed in some bathymetric change maps are believed to result from the difference in data collection equipment and techniques between the previous and present bathymetric surveys, whereas other erosional features around the perimeter of certain lakes may be the result of wave action during low-water years.

Missouri↗

USGS2023

Bathymetric contour maps, surface area and capacity tables, and bathymetric change maps for selected water-supply lakes in north-central and west-central Missouri, 2020

Bathymetric data were collected at 10 water-supply lakes in north-central and west-central Missouri by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and in collaboration with various local agencies, as part of a multiyear effort to establish or update the surface area and capacity tables for the surveyed lakes. The lakes were surveyed in June and July 2020. Seven of the lakes had been surveyed by the USGS between 2002 and 2007, and the recent surveys were compared to the earlier surveys to document changes in the bathymetric surface and capacity of the lake and produce a bathymetric change map. Bathymetric data were collected using a high-resolution multibeam mapping system mounted on a boat. Supplemental depth data at two of the lakes were collected in shallow areas with an acoustic Doppler current profiler on a remote-controlled boat. Data points from the various sources were exported at a gridded data resolution appropriate to each lake, either 0.82 foot or 1.64 feet. Data outside the multibeam survey extent and greater than the surveyed water-surface elevation generally were obtained from data collected using aerial light detection and ranging (lidar) point cloud data, except at Holden City Lake. A linear enforcement technique was used to add points to the dataset in areas of sparse data (the upper ends of coves where the water was shallow or aquatic vegetation precluded data acquisition) based on surrounding multibeam and upland data values. The various point datasets were used to produce a three-dimensional triangulated irregular network surface of lake-bottom elevations for each lake. A surface area and capacity table was produced from the three-dimensional surface for each lake showing surface area and capacity at specified lake water-surface elevations. Various quality-assurance tests were conducted to ensure quality data were collected with the multibeam, including beam angle checks and patch tests. Additional quality-assurance tests were conducted on the gridded bathymetric data from the survey, the bathymetric surface created from the gridded data, and the contours created from the bathymetric survey. If data from a previous bathymetric survey existed at a given lake, a bathymetric change map was generated from the elevation difference between the previous survey and the 2020 bathymetric survey data points. After reconciling any vertical datum disagreement between the previous survey and the 2020 survey, coincident points between the surveys were identified, and a bathymetric change map was generated using the coincident point data. A decrease in capacity was observed at nearly all the lakes for which a previous survey existed, and the mean bathymetric change between the surveys was positive at all the lakes. The decrease in capacity at the primary spillway elevation ranged from –0.4 percent at Edwin A Pape Lake to 9.4 percent at upper Higginsville Reservoir. The mean bathymetric change ranged from 0.03 foot at Garden City New Lake to 1.75 feet at Harrisonville City Lake, which corresponds to a time-averaged mean bathymetric change ranging from 0.002 foot per year at Garden City New Lake to 0.132 foot per year at Harrisonville City Lake. The computed volumetric sedimentation rate generally ranged from 0.04 to 4.91 acre-feet per year at Garden City New Lake and Holden City Lake, respectively; however, Harrisonville City Lake had a substantially larger volumetric sedimentation rate of 42.7 acre-feet per year, corresponding to the substantial mean bathymetric change of 1.75 feet and combined with the relatively shorter interval between surveys. Harrisonville City Lake also had the second-largest decrease in capacity at the spillway elevation of 5.9 percent. As with the 2019 surveys, some changes observed in the bathymetric change maps likely result from the difference in data collection equipment and techniques between the surveys. Certain apparent erosional features around the perimeter of certain lakes may be the result of wave action or compaction of sediments exposed to air during low-water years, or may indicate an unidentified but systemic error in the older singlebeam echosounder survey data.

Missouri↗

USGS2023

Bathymetric and velocimetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers near St. Louis, Missouri, August 3–10, 2020

Bathymetric and velocimetric data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, near 15 bridges at 10 highway crossings of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers near Washington, Louisiana, and St. Louis, Missouri, on August 3–10, 2020. A multibeam echosounder mapping system was used to obtain channel-bed elevations for river reaches about 1,640 to 1,970 feet longitudinally and generally extending laterally across the active channel from bank to bank during moderate flood-flow conditions. These surveys provided channel geometry and hydraulic conditions at the time of the surveys and provided characteristics of scour holes that may be useful in developing predictive guidelines or equations for computing potential scour depth. These data also may be useful to the Missouri Department of Transportation as a low to moderate flood-flow assessment of the bridges for stability and integrity issues with respect to bridge scour during floods. Bathymetric data were collected around every in-channel pier. Scour holes were present at most piers for which bathymetry could be obtained, except those on banks or surrounded by riprap. All the bridge sites in this study were previously surveyed and documented in previous studies, including the two new bridge structures at Louisiana and Washington (structures A8141 and A8504, sites 22 and 32, respectively). Comparisons between bathymetric surfaces from the previous surveys and those of the current (2020) study do not indicate any consistent correlation in channel-bed elevations with streamflow conditions. The comparisons of the 2020 surveys to two previous surveys at the new bridge structure A8141 at Washington (site 22) resulted in net erosion of the channel bed in both comparisons, despite the 2020 streamflow being less than either previous survey. Alternatively, there was a net gain of sediment at new bridge structure A8504 at Louisiana (site 32) between 2014 and 2020, which was the most substantial increase in the surveys detailed in this report; substantially less flow in 2020 than in 2014 or changes to the channel and spur dikes near the bridge may have contributed to the observed sediment gain. Pier size, nose shape, and skew to approach flow had a substantial effect on the size of the scour hole observed at a given pier. Larger and deeper scour holes were present at piers with wide or blunt noses caused by exposed footings, seal courses, or caissons. When a pier was skewed to primary approach flow, the scour hole was generally deeper and larger than at a similar pier without skew; however, the shape of the scour hole near skewed piers in this study generally was longer and deeper on the leeward side, contrary to the general shape of scour holes for skewed piers. However, this phenomenon has been observed historically at these sites, and likely is exacerbated by debris rafts or other turbulence-inducing features near the atypical scour holes. A substantial scour hole was observed near pier 11 of structure A6500 (site 33), which was deeper than in the 2016 survey. The scour holes observed at pier 17 of structure L0561 (site 25) and piers 3 and 4 of structure A1500 (site 34) also were slightly deeper and wider in 2020 than in 2016. At new bridge structures A8141 at Washington (site 22) and A8504 at Louisiana (site 32), the smaller cross-sectional area and configuration of the piers of the new bridges resulted in substantially less scour than with the wider old piers.

Illinois, Missouri↗

USGS2022

Bathymetric map and surface area and capacity table for Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri, 2020

Table Rock Lake was completed in 1958 on the White River in southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas for flood control, hydroelectric power, public water supply, and recreation. The surface area of Table Rock Lake is about 42,400 acres, and about 715 miles of shoreline are at the conservation pool level (915 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988). Sedimentation in reservoirs can result in reduced water storage capacity and a reduction in usable aquatic habitat; therefore, accurate and up-to-date estimates of reservoir water capacity are important for managing pool levels, power generation, recreation, and downstream aquatic habitat. Many of the lakes operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are periodically surveyed to monitor bathymetric changes that affect water capacity. In October and November 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, completed one such survey of Table Rock Lake using a multibeam echosounder. The echosounder data were combined with U.S. Geological Survey 1/3 arc-second digital elevation model data and light detection and ranging (lidar) data, where present, to prepare a bathymetric map and a surface area and capacity table up to the flood pool elevation of 931 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988.

Missouri↗

USGS2022

Use of high-resolution topobathymetry to assess shoreline topography and potential future development of a slack water harbor near Dardanelle, Arkansas, October 2021

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Southwestern Division, Little Rock District Civil Works program has a mission to maintain cohesion between physical and naturally developed environments. The USACE authorized the development of an off-channel harbor (hereinafter referred to as the “proposed slack water harbor”) along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System at river mile 202.6, and an initial evaluation of shoreline stability and adjacent land near the proposed harbor was considered essential in establishing a baseline for potential effects and future monitoring. In October 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the USACE, completed high-resolution bathymetric (underwater elevation) and topographic surveys of the Arkansas River and a quarry at the location of the proposed slack water harbor near Dardanelle, Arkansas, using a combination of multibeam sound navigation and ranging (sonar) and high-resolution, low-altitude aerial light detection and ranging (lidar) data to provide data and analysis needed for as-built information and future monitoring of river shoreline and floodplain management and maintenance. Bathymetric data were collected using a high-resolution multibeam mapping system, which consists of a multibeam echosounder and an inertial navigation system mounted on a marine survey vessel. Data were collected as the vessel traversed the river and quarry along overlapping survey lines distributed throughout the areas. Topographic data were collected as a lidar point cloud using an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) with a YellowScan Vx20–100 lidar payload, which consists of the lidar scanner and an inertial navigation system. The lidar point cloud data were collected as the UAS followed two sets of parallel transect lines, oriented perpendicular to each other (nominally north to south and east to west) on separate flights. The bathymetric and UAS topographic datasets were combined with topographic data extracted from publicly available aerial lidar data collected in 2014 to create a multisource point cloud classified as “ground” (code 2) according to the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing standard lidar point classes in the proposed harbor area and surroundings, from which topographic contours were derived.

Arkansas↗

USGS2022

Bathymetric contour maps, surface area and capacity tables, and bathymetric change maps for selected water-supply lakes in northwestern Missouri, 2019 and 2020

Bathymetric data were collected at 12 water-supply lakes in northwestern Missouri by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and in collaboration with various local agencies, as part of a multiyear effort to establish or update the surface area and capacity tables for the surveyed lakes. Ten of the lakes were surveyed from July to September 2019, one of the original 10 was resurveyed in March 2020, and two lakes of high interest near Maryville were surveyed in June 2020. Six of the lakes had been surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey before, and the recent surveys were compared to the earlier surveys to document the changes in the bathymetric surface and capacity of the lake and to produce a bathymetric change map. Bathymetric data were collected using a high-resolution multibeam mapping system mounted on a boat. Supplemental depth data were collected in shallow areas with an acoustic Doppler current profiler on a remote-controlled boat. At Hamilton Reservoir, a Global Navigation Satellite System survey receiver was used to collect additional bathymetric data at several points across four transects and around the perimeter of a substantial shallow area filled with aquatic vegetation upstream from a low-clearance bridge on the northern arm. Data points from the various sources were exported at a gridded data resolution appropriate to each lake. Data outside the multibeam echosounder survey extent and greater than the surveyed water-surface elevation generally were obtained from data collected using aerial light detection and ranging point cloud data, 1/9 arc-second National Elevation Dataset data based on aerial light detection and ranging data, or both. A linear enforcement technique was used to add points to the dataset in areas of sparse data (the upper ends of coves where the water was shallow or aquatic vegetation precluded data acquisition) based on surrounding multibeam and upland data values. The various point datasets were used to produce a three-dimensional triangulated irregular network surface of the lake-bottom elevations for each lake. A surface area and capacity table was produced from the three-dimensional surface showing surface area and capacity at specified lake water-surface elevations. Various quality-assurance tests were conducted to ensure quality data were collected with the multibeam, including beam angle checks and patch tests. Additional quality-assurance tests were conducted on the gridded bathymetric data from the survey, the bathymetric surface created from the gridded data, and the contours created from the bathymetric survey. If data from a previous bathymetric survey existed at a given lake, a bathymetric change map was generated from the elevation difference between the previous survey and the 2019 bathymetric survey data points. After applying any vertical elevation changes to the previous survey data to ensure a match to the 2019 survey datum, coincident points between the surveys were found, and a bathymetric change map was generated using the coincident point data. A decrease in capacity was observed at all the lakes for which a previous survey existed. The decrease in capacity at the primary spillway or intake elevation ranged from 0.8 percent at Lake Viking to 21.4 percent at Middle Fork Grand River Reservoir. The mean bathymetric change ranged from 0.33 foot at Willow Brook Lake to 1.18 feet at Middle Fork Grand River Reservoir. The computed sedimentation rate generally ranged from 0.54 to 4.19 acre-feet per year at Maysville Lake and Middle Fork Grand River Reservoir, respectively; however, Lake Viking had the largest sedimentation rate of 14.9 acre-feet per year, despite having the smallest decrease in capacity at the spillway elevation of only 0.8 percent and a mean bathymetric change of only 0.4 foot. Evidence of dredging was observed in the bathymetric surface for Lake Viking. Some changes observed in some bathymetric change maps are hypothesized to result from the difference in data collection equipment and techniques between the previous and present bathymetric surveys. Certain erosional features around the perimeter of certain lakes may be the result of wave action during low-water years.

Missouri↗

USGS2022

Bathymetric and velocimetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri River near Kansas City, Missouri, August 2019, August 2020, and October 2020

Bathymetric and velocimetric data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, near 9 bridges at 8 highway crossings of the Missouri River near Kansas City, Missouri, on August 13–14, 2019. A multibeam echosounder mapping system was used to obtain channel-bed elevations for river reaches about 1,550 to 1,660 feet longitudinally and generally extending laterally across the active channel from bank to bank during moderate flood-flow conditions. These surveys indicated the channel conditions at the time of the surveys and provided characteristics of scour holes that may be useful in developing predictive guidelines or equations for scour holes. These data also may be useful to the Missouri Department of Transportation as a low to moderate flood-flow assessment of the bridges for stability and integrity issues with respect to bridge scour during floods. Bathymetric data were collected around every pier that was in water, except around the nose of one pier that was surrounded by a persistent debris raft. Scour holes were present at most piers for which bathymetry could be obtained, except those on banks or surrounded by riprap. The observed scour holes at the surveyed bridges generally were examined with respect to shape and depth. Comparisons between bathymetric surfaces from previous surveys and this study do not indicate any consistent correlation in channel-bed elevations with streamflow conditions at the times of the surveys. The predominant overall scour observed between the various surveys implies the channel bed in the 2019 surveys might have been rebounding from more substantial scour caused by the high streamflow earlier in March and June 2019, which was the highest streamflow since 1993. Pier size and nose shape had a substantial effect on the size of the scour hole observed at a given pier. Many of the piers at the Kansas City area bridges have wide or blunt noses caused by exposed footings, seal courses, or caissons, which resulted in large, deep scour holes at most piers. Several of the structures had piers that were skewed to primary approach flow; and, at most of the structures, the scour hole was deeper and longer on the side of the pier with impinging flow than the leeward side, with some amount of deposition on the leeward side, as typically has been observed at piers skewed to approach flow. Limited additional bathymetric data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Clarkson Construction, near the main channel piers of the U.S. Highway 169 (Broadway) and the Interstate 435 (Randolph) bridges on August 17 and October 23, 2020, to determine the channel-bed conditions before and after installation of scour countermeasures near those piers. Survey results from before and after installation of these countermeasures show these features had a substantial effect on mitigating the observed scour at these piers, particularly when compared to piers at other sites without such features.

Missouri↗

USGS2021

Historical hydrologic and geomorphic conditions on the Black River and selected tributaries, Arkansas and Missouri

The Black River flows through southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas to its confluence with the White River in Arkansas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates Clearwater Dam on the Black River and a series of dams in the White River Basin primarily for flood control. In this study, the hydrology and geomorphology of the Black River are examined through an analysis of annual mean and peak discharges at streamgages, a specific stage analysis of stage and discharge at streamgages, and an examination of bathymetric data and aerial imagery. Five streamgages on the Black River were analyzed, in addition to four streamgages on Black River tributaries and one streamgage on the White River, located just downstream from the Black River confluence. The analyses indicated that regulation of discharges at the flood-control dams caused a decrease in the magnitude and variability of the peak discharges at several of the analyzed gages on the Black and White Rivers. Conversely, peak discharges on the Black River have been increasing since water year 2000, though this is not matched by an increase in peak discharges on the White River for the same time period. The specific stage analyses and the available morphologic data generally did not indicate pronounced changes in stage-discharge relations at streamgages on the Black River, with the exception of the gages nearest to Clearwater Dam.

Arkansas, Missouri↗

USGS2020

Bathymetric and velocimetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers on the periphery of Missouri, July–August 2018

Bathymetric and velocimetric data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, near 7 bridges at 6 highway crossings of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers on the periphery of the State of Missouri from July 16 to August 13, 2018. A multibeam echosounder mapping system was used to obtain channel-bed elevations for river reaches about 1,640 feet longitudinally and generally extending laterally across the active channel from bank to bank during moderate flood-flow conditions. These surveys indicate the channel conditions at the time of the surveys and provide characteristics of scour holes that may be useful in the development of predictive guidelines or equations for scour holes. These data also may be useful to the Missouri Department of Transportation as a low to moderate flood-flow comparison to help assess the bridges for stability and integrity issues with respect to bridge scour during floods. Bathymetric data were collected around every pier that was in water, except those at the edge of water, and scour holes were present at most piers for which bathymetry could be obtained, except those on banks, on bedrock, or surrounded by riprap. Occasionally, the scour hole near a pier was difficult to discern from nearby bed features. The observed scour holes at the surveyed bridges were generally examined with respect to shape and depth. Although partial exposure of substructural support elements was observed at several piers, at most sites the exposure likely can be considered minimal compared to the overall substructure that remains buried in bed material at these piers. The notable exceptions are piers 12 and 13 at structure L0135 on State Highway 51 at Chester, Illinois, at which the bedrock material was fully exposed around the piers. The presence of riprap blankets, pier size and nose shape, and alignment to flow had a substantial effect on the size of the scour hole observed for a given pier. Piers that were surrounded by riprap blankets had scour holes that were substantially smaller (to nonexistent) compared to piers at which no rock or riprap were present. Narrow piers having round or sharp noses that were aligned with flow often had scour holes that were difficult to discern from nearby bed features, whereas piers having wide or blunt noses resulted in larger, deeper scour holes. Several of the structures had piers that were skewed to primary approach flow, and scour holes near these piers generally displayed deposition on the leeward side of the pier and greater depth on the side of the pier with impinging flow.

Missouri↗

USGS2020

Bathymetric and velocimetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri River between Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, May 22–31, 2017

Bathymetric and velocimetric data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, near 10 bridges at 9 highway crossings of the Missouri River between Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, from May 22 to 31, 2017. A multibeam echosounder mapping system was used to obtain channel-bed elevations for river reaches ranging from 1,550 to 1,840 feet longitudinally and generally extending laterally across the active channel from bank to bank during moderate flood flow conditions. These surveys indicate the channel conditions at the time of the surveys and provide characteristics of scour holes that may be useful in the development of predictive guidelines or equations for scour holes. These data also may be useful to the Missouri Department of Transportation as a low to moderate flood flow comparison to help assess the bridges for stability and integrity issues with respect to bridge scour during floods. Bathymetric data were collected around every pier that was in water, except those at the edge of water, and scour holes were observed at most surveyed piers. Occasionally, the scour hole near a pier was difficult to discern from nearby bed features. The observed scour holes at the surveyed bridges were generally examined with respect to shape and depth. Although exposure of parts of substructural support elements was observed at several piers, at most sites the exposure likely can be considered minimal compared to the overall substructure that remains buried in bed material at these piers. The notable exceptions are piers 4 and 5 at structure K0999 on Missouri State Highway 41 at Miami, Mo.; piers 2 and 3 at structure G0069 on Missouri State Highway 240 at Glasgow, Mo.; and pier 5 at structure A4574 on Missouri State Highway 5 at Boonville, Mo. At these structures, the bed-material thickness between the bottom of the scour hole and bedrock was less than 6 feet. Pier size, nose shape, and alignment to flow had a profound effect on the size of the scour hole observed for a given pier. Narrow piers having round or sharp noses that were aligned with flow often had scour holes that were difficult to discern from nearby bed features, whereas piers having wide or blunt noses resulted in larger, deeper scour holes. Several structures had piers that were skewed to primary approach flow, and scour holes near these piers generally indicated deposition on the leeward side of the pier and greater depth on the side of the pier with impinging flow. A riprap blanket constructed in 2015 around pier 4 of structures L0550 and A4497 on U.S. Highway 54 at Jefferson City, Mo., effectively mitigates the scour observed near those piers in previous surveys. Previous bathymetric surveys exist for all the sites examined in this study. Bathymetric surfaces from a nonflood survey in 2013 and a flood survey in July 2011 at most of the sites are compared to the 2017 survey surfaces. The average channel-bed elevation at structure A4574 was remarkably similar in all three surveys and higher than what might be implied by a trendline along the reach between Kansas City and St. Louis, which may indicate this site is at or near a local feature that controls sediment deposition and scour.

Missouri↗

USGS2020

Assessment of bridge scour countermeasures at selected bridges in the United States, 2014–18

Erosion of the streambed, known also as scour, around pier 3 of the New York State Thruway bridge over Schoharie Creek caused the pier to fail, which ultimately resulted in bridge failure during the flooding event of April 5, 1987. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) responded to the need for better guidance on the evaluation of bridge scour and the selection and installation of scour countermeasures with the release of several Hydraulic Engineering Circulars. Although this information has been available, used, and updated over the years, an evaluation of the current conditions of scour countermeasures has not been performed. Therefore, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the FHWA, began a study in 2013 to assess the current conditions of bridge scour countermeasures at selected sites around the country. The bridge scour countermeasure site assessments included reviewing countermeasure design plans, field inspections, traditional surveys, motion-compensated terrestrial light detection and ranging technology (lidar), high-resolution multi-beam bathymetry scanning, underwater video imaging, and a review of the peak and daily streamflow history for the associated river or stream. A total of 34 bridge scour countermeasure sites were selected in 11 states for this study. The types of countermeasures installed at the bridge scour study sites ranged from riprap, the most common countermeasure in the study, to A-Jacks and cabled-concrete mattresses. The installed countermeasures were generally exposed to hydraulic forces from floods that equaled or exceeded the 1-percent, and even the 0.2-percent, annual exceedance probability at some of the study sites, but not all. The field inspections and countermeasure evaluations identified areas of shifting, slumping, and some scour holes and damage or washouts to the countermeasures, but generally most remained in place. The high-resolution laser scanner data, photo imaging and traditional survey data, and field notes were provided to the FHWA for expert evaluation of the bridge scour countermeasure performance.

Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, ↗

USGS2020

Dunes in the world's big rivers are characterized by low-angle lee-side slopes and a complex shape

Dunes form critical agents of bedload transport in all of the world’s big rivers, and constitute appreciable sources of bed roughness and flow resistance. Dunes also generate stratification that is the most common depositional feature of ancient riverine sediments. However, current models of dune dynamics and stratification are conditioned by bedform geometries observed in small rivers and laboratory experiments. For these dunes, the downstream lee-side is often assumed to be simple in shape and sloping at the angle of repose. Here we show, using a unique compilation of high-resolution bathymetry from a range of large rivers, that dunes are instead characterized predominantly by low-angle lee-side slopes (<10°), complex lee-side shapes with the steepest portion near the base of the lee-side slope and a height that is often only 10% of the local flow depth. This radically different shape of river dunes demands that such geometries are incorporated into predictions of flow resistance, water levels and flood risk and calls for rethinking of dune scaling relationships when reconstructing palaeoflow depths and a fundamental reappraisal of the character, and origin, of low-angle cross-stratification within interpretations of ancient alluvial sediments.

Nature Geoscience↗

USGS2019

Bathymetric map and surface area and capacity table for Beaver Lake near Rogers, Arkansas, 2018

Beaver Lake was constructed in 1966 on the White River in the northwest corner of Arkansas for flood control, hydroelectric power, public water supply, and recreation. The surface area of Beaver Lake is about 27,900 acres and approximately 449 miles of shoreline are at the conservation pool level (1,120 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988). Sedimentation in reservoirs can result in reduced water storage capacity and a reduction in usable aquatic habitat. Therefore, accurate and up-to-date estimates of reservoir water capacity are important for managing pool levels, power generation, recreation, and downstream aquatic habitat. Many of the lakes operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are periodically surveyed to monitor bathymetric changes that affect water capacity. In October 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, completed one such survey of Beaver Lake using a multibeam echosounder. The echosounder data were combined with light detection and ranging (lidar) data to prepare a bathymetric map and a surface area and capacity table.

Arkansas↗