SEDIMENT INVESTIGATIONS IN THE VICINITY OF THE OLD RIVER COMPLEX, LOUISIANA: RED RIVER ABOVE OLD RIVER OUTFLOW CHANNEL

Abstract: This research introduces the Old River Control Complex (ORCC) and defines the existing problem of disproportionate water versus sediment diversions. Because the ORCC is a water control complex built to keep the Atchafalaya River from taking over the Mississippi River and to generate power, it is crucial for the system to function properly to maintain a balanced sediment regime. The slightest changes in the sediment environment can be critical for the Mississippi, Atchafalaya, and Red Rivers, and for the Old River Outflow Channel itself. Scouring and deposition occur due to an existing imbalance of sediment concentrations. Therefore, analyzing the available sediment data for stations in the vicinity of the ORCC is important to understand the overall shifts of sediment occurring in this area. If the sources for the shifts of sediment can be defined, additional recommendations for future handling methods can be made, and excessive scouring and deposition can be prevented. Focusing on the station Red River above Old River Outflow Channel, this research outlines a method of properly assembling, managing and interpreting the data available from a sediment sampling station in the vicinity of the ORCC. The spreadsheets developed in this study are easy to use for ongoing data management and make updating the analysis and future interpretations much easier. The introduced methods can now be easily implemented for the key stations to draw more detailed conclusions concerning sediment shifts