Historical changes of a major juncture : Lower Old River, Louisiana

Changing fluvial systems

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
Old River is one of the most important river junctures in North America. It connects 3 large, navigable rivers : the Mississippi, Atchafalaya and Red. This paper examines the historical changes of Lower Old River, the main juncture prior to 1963 before the flow became controlled by structures, including its flow changes, human modifications, and whether and how it was changing as the Atchafalaya received more flow. In contrast to some reports that suggest that bidirectional flow in Old River was just a few years in duration, occasional flow from the Red River is documented : starting in the 1880s and persisting for several decades through 1945. This paper identifies 3 transitions in the transformation from bidirectional to unidirectional flow, the first of unknown cause in the late 1910s, the second likely instigated by the flood of record in 1927, and the third immediately following a local artificial cut-off in 1944-1945. Also, changes in flow and geometry in Lower Old River are related to changes in the adjacent Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers.


Type de document :
Article de monographie

Source :
Physical geography, issn : 0272-3646, 2013, vol. 34, n°. 4-5, p. 315-334, nombre de pages : 20, Références bibliographiques : 35 ref.

Date :
2013

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Abingdon, Taylor and Francis