Fluvial Erosion Hazards

Hellbranch Run is a second order stream tributary to Big Darby Creek. Big Darby Creek was designated a “National Scenic River” in 1994 by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Beginning in 1992, concern about the possible effects of urbanization on water quality in Hellbranch Run (and ultimately Big Darby Creek) prompted the USGS, in cooperation with the City of Columbus, Ohio, to begin collection...

Flood events on rivers can cause erosion of the soil around a bridge foundation. This process is frequently referred to as bridge scour. Over time, scour can lead to bridge failure. To manage the risk from bridge scour, countermeasures are now used on bridge foundations. USGS scientists will be evaluating these bridge scour countermeasures at bridges across the country on rivers of various sizes.

Significant flood events on the Wabash River between 3 mi downstream of Mt. Carmel, IL to 10 mi downstream from New Harmony, IN caused the collapse of the railroad pier, bridge, and trusses which crossed the river. Scientists are using two models to evaluate how future flooding may impact the current I-64 bridge and the river channel. One model will focus on river meander migration. The second...