Organ izational Results Research Report January 2010 OR10.015 Real-Time River Channel- Bed Monitoring at the Chariton and Mississippi Rivers in Missouri 2007–09 Prepared by United States Geological Survey and Missouri Department of Transportation Final Report RI08-002 IBRD Sonar Scour Monitoring Project: Real-Time River Channel-Bed Monitoring at the Chariton and Mississippi Rivers in Missouri, 2007-09 Prepared for Missouri Department of Transportation Organizational Results by Paul H. Rydlund, Jr. USGS January 2010 The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the principal investigators and the Missouri Department of Transportation. They are not necessarily those of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. This report does not constitute a standard or regulation. TECHNICAL REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE. 1. Report No.: 2. Government Accession No.: 3. Recipient's Catalog No.: OR10-015 4. Title and Subtitle: 5. Report Date: IBRD Sonar Scour Monitoring Project: Real-Time River Channel-Bed January 2010 Monitoring at the Chariton and Mississippi Rivers in Missouri, 2007-09 6. Performing Organization Code: 7. Author(s): 8. Performing Organization Report Paul H. Rydlund, Jr No.: RI08-002 9. Performing Organization Name and Address: 10. Work Unit No.: USGS 1400 Independence Road 11. Contract or Grant No.: Rolla, MO 65401 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address: 13. Type of Report and Period Covered: Missouri Department of Transportation Final Report. Organizational Results 14. Sponsoring Agency Code: PO BOX 270, JEFFERSON CITY MO 65102 15. Supplementary Notes: The investigation was conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey and the U. S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. 16. Abstract: Scour and depositional responses to hydrologic events have been important to the scientific community studying sediment transport as well as potential effects on bridges and other hydraulic structures within riverine systems. A river channel-bed monitor composed of a single-beam transducer was installed on a bridge crossing the Chariton River near Prairie Hill, Missouri (structure L-344) as a pilot study to evaluate channel-bed change in response to the hydrologic condition disseminated from an existing streamgage. Initial results at this location led to additional installations in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation at an upstream Chariton River streamgage location at Novinger, Missouri (structure L-534) and a Mississippi River streamgage location near Mehlville, Missouri (structures A-1850 and A-4936). In addition to stage, channel-bed elevation was collected at all locations every 15 minutes and transmitted hourly to a U.S. Geological Survey database. Bed elevation data for the Chariton River location at Novinger and the Mississippi River location near Mehlville were provided to the World Wide Web for real-time monitoring. Channelbed data from the three locations indicated responses to hydrologic events depicted in the stage record; however, notable bedforms apparent during inter-event flows also may have affected the relation of scour and deposition to known hydrologic events. Throughout data collection periods, Chariton River locations near Prairie Hill and Novinger reflected bed changes as much as 13 feet and 5 feet. Nearly all of the bed changes correlated well with the hydrographic record at these locations. The location at the Mississippi River near Mehlville indicated a much more stable channel bed throughout the data collection period. Despite missing data resulting from damage to one of the river channel-bed monitors from ice accumulation at the upstream nose of the bridge pier early in the record, the record from the downstream river channel-bed monitor demonstrated a good correlation (regardless of a 7 percent high bias) between bedform movement and the presence of bedforms surrounding the bridge as indicated by coincident bathymetric surveys using multibeam sonar. 17. Key Words: 18. Distribution Statement: Scour, depositional responses, single-beam transducer, No restrictions. This document is available to bedforms the public through National Technical Information Center, Springfield, Virginia 22161. 19. Security Classification (of this 20. Security Classification (of this 21. No of Pages: 22. Price: report): page): Unclassified. Unclassified. Form DOT F 1700.7 (06/98). iii Contents Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................4 Description of River Channel-Bed Monitors ....................................................................................4 River Channel-Bed Monitor Installation and Data Collection ................................................................4 Chariton River near Prairie Hill (Structure L-344) ............................................................................4 Chariton River at Novinger (Structure L-534) ...................................................................................7 Mississippi River at Mehlville (Structures A-1850 and A-4936) ....................................................7 River Channel-Bed Monitor Results .........................................................................................................11 Chariton River near Prairie Hill (Structure L-344) ..........................................................................11 Chariton River at Novinger (Structure L-534) .................................................................................13 Mississippi River at Mehlville (Structures A-1850 and A-4936) ..................................................18 River Channel-Bed Monitor Uncertainty and Limitations .....................................................................18 Summary and Conclusions .........................................................................................................................26 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................27 Figures 1. Map showing location of river channel-bed monitors in Missouri ......................................2 2. Internal configuration, installation, and data dissemination of a river channel-bed monitor ............................................................................................................................................3 3. Graph showing cross sections from historic flood measurements made at the downstream face of structure L-344 crossing the Chariton River near Prairie Hill, Missouri ..........................................................................................................................................5 4. Photgraphs showing installation of a river channel-bed monitor on structure L-344 over the Chariton River near Prairie Hill, Missouri .................................................................6 5. Graph showing cross sections from historic flood measurements made at the downstream face of structure L-534 crossing the Chariton River at Novinger, Missouri ..........................................................................................................................................8 6. Photgraphs showing installation of river channel-bed monitors on structure L-534 over the Chariton River at Novinger, Missouri .........................................................................9 7. Predicted contraction and pier scour depths based on the 1993 flood for piers 1 through 14 and river channel-bed monitor design at pier 12 at structures A-1850 and A-4936 over the Mississippi River at Mehlville ..............................................................10 8. Photgraphs showing installation of river channel-bed monitors on structures A-1850 and A-4936 over the Mississippi River at Mehlville, Missouri ...............................12 9–10. Graphs showing— 9. River channel-bed elevation at the downstream side of the upstream column of pier 4 and river stage from August 21, 2007, through August 21, 2009, for the Chariton River near Prairie Hill, Missouri (structure L-344) ........................................14 10. River channel-bed elevation at the downstream side of the upstream and downstream columns of pier 7 and river stage from May 22, 2008, through August 22, 2009, for the Chariton River at Novinger, Missouri (structure L-534) ....19 iv 11–13. Graphs showing— 11. River channel-bed elevation at the downstream nose of pier 12 and river stage from October 24, 2008, through August 24, 2009, for the Mississippi River near Mehlville, Missouri (structures A-1850 and A-4936) ................................22 12. River channel-bed elevation at the upstream nose of pier 12 and river stage during the period of October 24, 2008, through December 31, 2008, for the Mississippi River near Mehlville, Missouri (structures A-1850 and A-4936) .................................................................................................................................24 13. Bathymetric surveys conducted October 2, 2008, May 13, 2009, and July 8, 2009, using multibeam