Design And Development Of Bendway Weirs For The Dogtooth Bend Reach Mississippi River PDF Download

This investigation is one of a series of model studies used to determine the effectiveness of various dike and bendway weir systems proposed for the improvement of several troublesome reaches on the Mississippi River. This report describes and gives results of test concerned with the development of plans for the improvement of the Dogtooth Bend reach of the middle Mississippi River, located 20 miles above the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. A movable-bed model reproducing approximately 19.4 miles of the Mississippi River (horizontal scale 1:400, vertical scale 1: 100) and using granulated coal as the bed material was employed to develop plans that would improve and stabilize the navigation channel through the reach and eliminate or reduce the need for maintenance dredging. The goals of this study were to improve current flow patterns and widen the navigation channel in Dogtooth and Price's Landing Bends and in the crossings immediately downstream of both bends. Currents concentrating on the outside bank of a number of bends have caused serious problems for barge traffic and major damage to bank stabilization and protection structures. During a high-water event in 1983 the bank line at Dry Bayou (mile 23.3) failed, allowing the river to flow overland for approximately 5 miles.