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Changes in hydrology and suspended-sediment transport in the Mississippi River Basin over the past century

Changes in hydrology and suspended-sediment transport in the Mississippi River Basin over the past century
Changes in hydrology and suspended-sediment transport in the Mississippi River Basin over the past century
Since about 1900, widespread changes in hydrology across the Mississippi River Basin have occurred, resulting in important changes in the delivery of water and sediment to the Lower Mississippi River (LMR). This is due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. There have been increases in annual precipitation and 1- to 7-day totals over large parts of the basin. Changes in seasonal distributions were also identified, as were increases in hurricane-related rainfall. Streamflow to the LMR has increased significantly over the past 100 years. Median water yields have increased across most of the mid-continent and decreased in the western-most parts of the Missouri and Arkansas River basins. Suspended-sediment loads to the LMR have dramatically declined. The Lower Mississippi River is receiving about 500 million tonnes per year less suspended sediment today than in the 1940s (616 Mt/y to 98 Mt/y). Human impacts on hydrology and sediment transport throughout the basin are important. In the mid-continent, water yield per unit precipitation showed increases, but markedly decreased in the western parts of the basin. Decreases can be attributed to the construction of thousands of dams, associated flow regulation, withdrawals for agriculture, and to a lesser extent, the increased evaporation behind impoundments.
United States Army Corps of Engineers
Simon, Andrew
b880bdf6-7a33-476e-a07e-c1e3e4e224bd
Artita, Kimberly
0edeb084-76a3-40d5-859d-bb2a4abc8437
Simon, Gail
bb6fe28a-7de0-4f8f-8106-2ec8babac851
Darby, Stephen
4c3e1c76-d404-4ff3-86f8-84e42fbb7970
Leyland, Julian
6b1bb9b9-f3d5-4f40-8dd3-232139510e15
Simon, Andrew
b880bdf6-7a33-476e-a07e-c1e3e4e224bd
Artita, Kimberly
0edeb084-76a3-40d5-859d-bb2a4abc8437
Simon, Gail
bb6fe28a-7de0-4f8f-8106-2ec8babac851
Darby, Stephen
4c3e1c76-d404-4ff3-86f8-84e42fbb7970
Leyland, Julian
6b1bb9b9-f3d5-4f40-8dd3-232139510e15

Simon, Andrew, Artita, Kimberly, Simon, Gail, Darby, Stephen and Leyland, Julian (2020) Changes in hydrology and suspended-sediment transport in the Mississippi River Basin over the past century Mississippi. United States Army Corps of Engineers 297pp. (doi:10.21079/11681/37073).

Record type: Monograph (Project Report)

Abstract

Since about 1900, widespread changes in hydrology across the Mississippi River Basin have occurred, resulting in important changes in the delivery of water and sediment to the Lower Mississippi River (LMR). This is due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. There have been increases in annual precipitation and 1- to 7-day totals over large parts of the basin. Changes in seasonal distributions were also identified, as were increases in hurricane-related rainfall. Streamflow to the LMR has increased significantly over the past 100 years. Median water yields have increased across most of the mid-continent and decreased in the western-most parts of the Missouri and Arkansas River basins. Suspended-sediment loads to the LMR have dramatically declined. The Lower Mississippi River is receiving about 500 million tonnes per year less suspended sediment today than in the 1940s (616 Mt/y to 98 Mt/y). Human impacts on hydrology and sediment transport throughout the basin are important. In the mid-continent, water yield per unit precipitation showed increases, but markedly decreased in the western parts of the basin. Decreases can be attributed to the construction of thousands of dams, associated flow regulation, withdrawals for agriculture, and to a lesser extent, the increased evaporation behind impoundments.

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More information

Published date: 1 June 2020

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 442177
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/442177
PURE UUID: ba959c78-2d4d-4fb3-8f70-7d8c1302707b
ORCID for Stephen Darby: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8778-4394
ORCID for Julian Leyland: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3419-9949

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 08 Jul 2020 16:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:04

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Contributors

Author: Andrew Simon
Author: Kimberly Artita
Author: Gail Simon
Author: Stephen Darby ORCID iD
Author: Julian Leyland ORCID iD

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