Measurement of bedform migration rates on the Lower Missouri River in Missouri, USA using repeat measurements with a multibeam echosounder

Abstract

High-resolution repeat multibeam echosounder measurements on the Lower Missouri River near Boonville, Missouri, USA show bedform movement and sand storage patterns over daily to seasonal time scales and a range of discharges. Higher flows are frequently, but not always, associated with larger bedforms, higher bedform movement rates, and higher bedload transport rates. Measurements of the temporal and spatial variability in sand dune sizes, transport rates, and sand storage across the river channel have increased understanding of the dynamics of habitats utilized by benthic organisms over multiple life stages and daily to seasonal time scales.