Engineering Geology and Geomorphology of Streambank Erosion. Report 2. Yazoo River Basin Upland, Mississippi

Streambank erosion is occurring at an excessively fast rate in the upland or hill region of the Yazoo River Basin in northwest Mississippi. Four streams--Perry, Tillatoba, Goodwin, and Hotopha Creeks--were selected as study sites to determine the cause or causes of the excessive bank erosion. All four streams are located along or close to the bluff line. Historical comparative analyses were used to identify significant changes in stream and basin geomorphology and to detect mechanisms that produced or could produce these changes. Chronological sequences of aerial photographs, field observations, maps, and survey data were the principal means used to measure the basic hydraulic and geomorphic conditions that define the fluvial geomorphic system. Stream width, stream depth, channel slope, and sinuosity were the more easily measurable variables, but general observations about the flow, sediment discharge, and sediment size could also be made.