Laboratory Analysis Results for Sediment Surrogate Samples, Mississippi River at Belle Chasse, Louisiana, 2019-2023

This data release contains results from 2019-2023 for bed material and suspended sediment samples collected at USGS 07374525 Mississippi River at Belle Chasse gage in association with the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Lowermost Mississippi River Management Program. Concentration, percent fines and grain size analysis on bed material and suspended sediment samples were processed following the guidelines outlined in “Laboratory Theory and Methods for Sediment Analysis” (Guy, 1969). Particle size distribution was conducted on depth integrated and point suspended sediment samples on the sands and fines fractions and were processed using laser diffraction with the Beckman Coulter LS 13-320. In addition, Laser In-Situ Scattering and Transmissometry (LISST) data was co-collected with point samples using a Sequioa Scientific LISST-AOBS attached to the point sampler with a continuous datalogging system to collect continuous concentration data.
 
Types of samples collected:
EDI samples: Equal Discharge Increment samples taken at Left, Left Center, Center, Right Center, and Right riverbank locations.
Bed material: samples taken from the bottom of the riverbed at each EDI vertical location.
A set samples: EDI composite suspended sediment samples.
B set samples: Replicate EDI composite suspended sediment samples.
Point samples: Individual suspended sediment samples collected at 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 depths at the matching EDI vertical locations.
 
Description of tables:
“Belle Chasse Sampling Locations (Lat_Long).png” contains the approximate latitude and longitude of the EDI sampling locations where samples were collected at USGS station 07374525.
“Belle Chasse Sampling Map.png” shows the sampling locations at USGS station 07374525.
“Bed Material.csv” contains sieve size distribution data from the bed material samples collected at each EDI vertical location.  
“Sand Fine Split (A set)” contains sediment mass, concentration, and percent fines data from the A set suspended sediment samples.
“Fines PSD (B set).csv” contains averaged laser particle size distribution data on the B set fine sediment material (sediment smaller than 63 microns) processed on the Beckman Coulter LS 13 320 particle size analyzer for laser diffraction.
“Fines PSD Raw Data (B set).csv” contains all the raw laser data from each run for the “Fines PSD (B set).csv”.
“Sand PSD (B set).csv” contains sieve particle size distribution data from the B set sand material (sediment bigger than 63 microns) as well as averaged laser particle size distribution data processed on the Beckman Coulter LS 13 320 particle size analyzer.
“Sand PSD Raw Data (B set).csv” contains the raw laser data for each run from the “Sand PSD (B set).csv”.
“Point Sample PSD.csv” contains the concentration, total sediment, and the averaged laser particle size distribution data on the point samples processed on the Beckman Coulter LS 13 320 particle size analyzer for laser diffraction.
“Point Sample PSD Raw Data.csv” contains the raw laser data for each run from the “Point Sample PSD.csv”.
“LISST Sample Information.csv” contains the sample information that corresponds to the Raw LIIST-AOBS data in “LISST Samples Raw Data.csv”.

References:
Mize, S.V., Gartelman, A., Simmons, L., Groseclose, G., Johnson, M., Genusa, M., Edens, G., Pahl, J., Fountain, J., Hendrix, P., Descant, M., 2026, Methods and Method Development for Sediment Surrogate Data Collection and Laboratory Analysis, Mississippi River at Belle Chasse, LA:  US Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report.

Guy, H.P., 1969, Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations of the United States Geological Survey: Laboratory Theory and Methods for Sediment Analysis, Chapter 2, p. 28; accessed July 12, 2021, at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/twri05C1.