Abstract

Mississippi River Navigation Book Gets a New Low Water Reference Plane
Track: 3D and Lidar Data
Authors: Craig Hunter

The Mississippi River Low Water Reference Plane (LWRP) is a hydraulic datum represented by a zero foot low water elevation based on a 5 year window of observations of the river’s stages, discharge rates, and flow duration periods. In the past, the LWRP was interpreted based on time-consuming manual processing of sparse river channel cross-sections. Utilizing LIDAR and Multi-Beam SONAR data, USACE has developed a new process to quickly generate a more accurate and more detailed LWRP.