U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5087

Prepared in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Transportation and the 

North Dakota State Water Commission

Hydrographic Surveys of the Missouri and Yellowstone 

Rivers at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, 

North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood
Cover. Front cover: The West Bismarck Expressway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, on June 6, 2011. Photograph by 

 Richard J. Huizinga, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Inset: U.S. Geological Survey collecting hydrographic survey data on the Missouri River at Williston Bridge near 

 Williston, North Dakota, on June 8, 2011. Photograph by William C. Damschen, USGS. 

Back cover: Homes on the left bank of the Missouri River on July 8, 2011, in Bismarck, North Dakota. Photograph by 

 Brenda K. Densmore, USGS.
Hydrographic Surveys of the Missouri and 

Yellowstone Rivers at Selected Bridges 

and through Bismarck, North Dakota, 

during the 2011 Flood

By Brenda K. Densmore, Kellan R. Strauch, and Benjamin J. Dietsch

Prepared in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Transportation 

and the North Dakota State Water Commission

Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5087

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2013

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Suggested citation:

Densmore, B.K., Strauch, K.R., and Dietsch, B.J., 2013, Hydrographic surveys of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers 

at selected bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 flood: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2013–5087, 59 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2013/5087/.
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2

Description of Study Area ...................................................................................................................2

Methods of Study...........................................................................................................................................7

Description of Equipment ....................................................................................................................7

Survey Methods..................................................................................................................................10

Field Procedures........................................................................................................................10

Data-Processing Procedures ..................................................................................................10

Quality Assurance/Quality Control...................................................................................................12

Hydrographic Surveys on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers at Selected Bridges ....................13

Missouri River at West Bismarck Expressway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota....................17

Missouri River at Memorial Highway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota....................................17

Missouri River at Grant Marsh Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota ...............................................26

Missouri River at Washburn Bridge near Washburn, North Dakota .........................................26

Missouri River at Williston Bridge near Williston, North Dakota ...............................................34

Missouri River at Buford Bridge near Buford, North Dakota ......................................................34

Yellowstone River at Cartwright Bridge near Cartwright, North Dakota...................................34

Hydrographic Surveys of the Missouri River through Bismarck, North Dakota ...............................38

General Results of Hydrographic Surveys during the 2011 Flood on the Missouri and

Yellowstone Rivers in North Dakota............................................................................................56

Summary........................................................................................................................................................56

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................57

Glossary.........................................................................................................................................................59

Figures

1. Map showing the Missouri River basin, dams, reservoirs, and study locations ...............3

2. Map showing location of Missouri River bridge survey sectors, survey

benchmarks, and U.S. Geological Survey streamgage 06342500 at Bismarck, 

North Dakota .................................................................................................................................4

3. Map showing location of Missouri River bridge survey area at Washburn Bridge

near Washburn, North Dakota, and survey benchmark ........................................................5

4. Map showing location of Missouri and Yellowstone River bridge survey areas,

survey benchmarks, and U.S. Geological Survey streamgage 06330000 near

Williston, North Dakota................................................................................................................6

5. Photographs showing hydrographic surveying using multibeam echosounder

systems as installed on USGS-Nebraska boat with sonar head rotated out of water

and sonar head submerged during data collection, and on USGS-Missouri boat

with sonar head rotated out of the water and sonar head submerged during data

collection........................................................................................................................................8
iv

6. Photographs showing RESON SeaBatTM 7125 multibeam echosounder

components that are submerged during data collection, shown as bottom 

view and top oblique view...........................................................................................................9

7. Schematic diagram showing high-resolution multibeam echosounder system

components .................................................................................................................................11

8. Diagrams showing effects of timing offset for latency, and angular offsets for roll,

pitch, and yaw on data from a multibeam echosounder......................................................14

9. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

at West Bismarck Expressway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, June 6, 2011...............18

10. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

at West Bismarck Expressway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, July 3, 2011 ................20

11. Map showing difference in channel-bed elevations between the June 6 and 

July 3, 2011, hydrographic surveys of the Missouri River at West Bismarck 

Expressway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota........................................................................22

12. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

at Memorial Highway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, June 7, 2011...............................23

13. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

at Memorial Highway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, July 3, 2011 ................................24

14. Map showing difference in channel-bed elevations between June 7 and July 3,

2011, hydrographic surveys on the Missouri River at Memorial Highway Bridge,

Bismarck, North Dakota ............................................................................................................25

15. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

at Grant Marsh Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, June 6, 2011 ..........................................27

16. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

at Grant Marsh Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, July 5, 2011............................................28

17. Map showing difference in channel-bed elevations between June 6 and July 5,

2011, hydrographic surveys on the Missouri River at Grant Marsh Bridge,

Bismarck, North Dakota ............................................................................................................29

18. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

at Washburn Bridge, near Washburn, North Dakota, June 9, 2011 ...................................30

19. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

at Washburn Bridge, near Washburn, North Dakota, July 9, 2011.....................................31

20. Map showing difference in channel-bed elevations between June 9 and July 9,

2011, hydrographic surveys on the Missouri River at Washburn Bridge near

Washburn, North Dakota...........................................................................................................32

21. Photographs and diagrams showing results of hydrographic survey on July 9, 2011,

of middle pier of Washburn Bridge near Washburn, North Dakota, showing

exposed footing...........................................................................................................................33

22. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

at Williston Bridge near Williston, North Dakota, June 8, 2011 ..........................................35

23. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

at Buford Bridge near Buford, North Dakota, June 8, 2011 .................................................36

24. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Yellowstone River hydrographic

survey at Cartwright Bridge near Cartwright, North Dakota, June 8, 2011.......................37

25. Graph showing daily mean discharge for the Missouri River at Bismarck, North

Dakota, streamgage 06342500, May 15 through August 15, 2011 .......................................38

26. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sectors 1 and 2 located south of Bismarck, North Dakota, June 28 and 

July 2, 2011...................................................................................................................................39
v

27. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sectors 3 and 4 located south of Bismarck, North Dakota, June 29 and 

July 1, 2011...................................................................................................................................40

28. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 5 located south of Bismarck, North Dakota, June 29, 2011 ................................41

29. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 6 located south of Bismarck, North Dakota, June 29, 2011 ................................42

30. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 7 located at Bismarck, North Dakota, July 3, 2011...............................................43

31. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 8 located at Bismarck, North Dakota, July 3, 2011...............................................44

32. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 9 located at Bismarck, North Dakota, July 3, 2011...............................................45

33. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 10 located at Bismarck, North Dakota, July 2, 2011.............................................46

34. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sectors 11 and 12 located at Bismarck, North Dakota, July 5, 2011 ..............................47

35. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 13 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 6, 2011 ..................................48

36. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 14 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 6, 2011 ..................................49

37. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 15 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 6–7, 2011 ..............................50

38. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 16 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 7, 2011 ..................................51

39. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 17 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 7, 2011 ..................................52

40. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 18 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 8, 2011 ..................................53

41. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 19 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 8, 2011 ..................................54

42. Map showing channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey

of sector 20 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 8, 2011 ..................................55

Tables

1. RESON SeaBatTM 7125 specifications for the multibeam echosounder used for

hydrographic surveys, 2011 ........................................................................................................7

2. Dates and locations of hydrographic surveys at bridge sites and sections on the

Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, North Dakota, during the 2011 flood............................15

3. Location and location checks of benchmarks used for hydrographic surveys of the

Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, North Dakota, during the 2011 flood............................16

4. Summary of channel-bed elevations surveyed at selected bridges on the Missouri

and Yellowstone Rivers, North Dakota, during the 2011 flood ............................................19

5. Daily mean gage height and daily mean discharge at selected streamgages during

hydrographic surveys of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, North Dakota, during

the 2011 flood...............................................................................................................................21
vi

Conversion Factors

Inch/Pound to SI

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

U.S. survey feet (US ft) 0.30480061 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Flow rate or velocity

cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

Volume

acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter (m3)

Frequency

kilohertz (kHz) 1,000 cycle/second

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as follows:

°C=(°F-32)/1.8

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 

(NAVD 88).

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 

Continuously Operating Reference Station 1996 [NAD 83 (CORS 96)].

Elevation, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum.
Hydrographic Surveys of the Missouri and Yellowstone 

Rivers at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North 

Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

By Brenda K. Densmore, Kellan R. Strauch, and Benjamin J. Dietsch

Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation 

with the North Dakota Department of Transportation and the 

North Dakota State Water Commission, completed hydrographic surveys at six Missouri River bridges and one Yellowstone River bridge during the 2011 flood of the Missouri 

River system. Bridges surveyed are located near the cities of 

Cartwright, Buford, Williston, Washburn, and Bismarck, N. 

Dak. The river in the vicinity of the bridges and the channel 

through the city of Bismarck, N. Dak., were surveyed. The 

hydrographic surveys were conducted using a high-resolution 

multibeam echosounder (MBES), the RESON SeaBatTM 7125, 

during June 6–9 and June 28–July 9, 2011. The surveyed area 

at each bridge site extended 820 feet upstream from the bridge 

to 820 feet downstream from the bridge. The surveyed reach 

through Bismarck consisted of 18 miles of the main channel 

wherever depth was sufficient. Results from these emergency 

surveys aided the North Dakota Department of Transportation in evaluating the structural integrity of the bridges during 

high-flow conditions. In addition, the sustained high flows 

made feasible the surveying of a large section of the normally 

shallow channel with the MBES. 

In general, results from sequential bridge surveys showed 

that as discharge increased between the first and second surveys at a given site, there was a general trend of channel scour. 

Locally, complex responses of scour in some areas and deposition in other areas of the channel were identified. Similarly, 

scour around bridge piers also showed complex responses to 

the increase in flow between the two surveys. Results for the 

survey area of the river channel through Bismarck show that, 

in general, scour occurred around river structures or where 

the river has tight bends and channel narrowing. The data 

collected during the surveys are provided electronically in 

two different file formats: comma delimited text and CARIS 

Spatial ArchiveTM (CSARTM) format. 

Introduction

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with 

the North Dakota Department of Transportation and the North 

Dakota State Water Commission, conducted hydrographic 

surveys near six Missouri River bridges and one Yellowstone 

River bridge during the 2011 flood in the Missouri River 

system. Bridges surveyed are located near the cities of Cartwright, Buford, Williston, Washburn, and Bismarck, N. Dak. 

(figs. 1–4). In addition to surveying the river in the vicinity of 

the bridges, a survey of the river channel through the city of 

Bismarck, N. Dak., was conducted. 

A riverbed can be changed by the movement of sediment from flowing water. Sediment is both eroded and 

deposited. The removal of channel-bed sediment and bank 

material is known as scour and occurs as velocity and shear 

stress increase, typically with flood passage (Leopold and 

others, 1964). Channel-bed scour during flood conditions can 

have a severe effect on river structures. Scour and fill around 

river infrastructure, such as bridge piers and abutments, as 

well as water intakes, pipeline crossings, levees, and rivermanagement structures, can potentially cause infrastructure 

destruction, damage, or instability. Scour is the most frequent 

cause of bridge failure (Landers and Mueller, 1996). Because 

of the subsequent refilling of scour holes by sediment deposition as flood passage wanes, specialized methods are needed 

to measure the lateral and vertical extent of riverbed scour. 

Previously, sounding rods, sounding weights, single-beam 

echosounders, and permanently mounted sonar devices have 

been used to measure scour holes near bridges (Federal Highway Administration, 2011); however, none of these methods 

provide as much detail as multibeam echosounders.

Multibeam echosounding is a more efficient method for 

measuring scour than many other survey methods during flood 

conditions (Federal Highway Administration, 2011). Other 

survey methods typically do not provide the high quality or 
2 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

detailed data provided by multibeam echosounding equipment. 

The multibeam echosounder (MBES) hydrographic survey 

system provides a detailed snapshot of the riverbed, which is 

beneficial not only for understanding current riverbed conditions, but for understanding change and sediment movement 

when compared to historic and future surveys. MBES data 

were collected at six Missouri River bridges, at one Yellowstone River bridge, and along 18 miles (mi) of the Missouri 

River through Bismarck, N. Dak., during the 2011 flood; that 

is, surveys were conducted June 6–9 and June 28–July 9, 

2011. The surveys were intended to provide data on the riverbed conditions needed to understand current scour, infrastructure integrity, and channel form. The flood conditions 

provided increased water depths and, thereby, an opportunity 

for surveying even on the normally wide, shallow sections of 

the Missouri River, making a MBES survey practical. Hydrographic surveys conducted at four bridges on the Missouri 

River were repeated to detect changes at multiple points in the 

flood hydrograph. Bridges that were surveyed twice include 

three bridges in Bismarck and one at Washburn, N. Dak. These 

bridges were resurveyed because of their locations and the 

results of the initial surveys. 

The 2011 Missouri River system flood was caused by 

above-normal snowpack in the Rocky Mountains, additional 

late-season heavy snowfall, and extreme rainfall over large 

areas of the upper Missouri River Basin. In particular, heavy 

rainfall in excess of 10 inches (in.) in eastern Montana in 

late May contributed to an unexpectedly large runoff volume (National Weather Service, 2011). The combined Maythrough-July 2011 runoff for the basin above Sioux City, 

Iowa, of 34.3 million acre-feet is greater than the total annual 

runoff in 102 of the 113 years of record (U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, 2011). This unexpected volume of water caused the 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take emergency measures 

to lower main-stem reservoir levels to ensure dam safety. 

Flood conditions began in the upper Missouri River Basin in 

mid-May, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA) officially expanded its emergency declaration to several North Dakota counties along the Missouri River on May 

28, 2011 (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2011). 

The official end to the 2011 Missouri River flood was declared 

on October 17, 2011, when river levels from Montana to St. 

Louis, Missouri, dropped below flood stage. 

Purpose and Scope

This report documents methodology, describes the 

results, and compares multiple survey results where applicable 

of the MBES hydrographic surveys conducted at six Missouri 

River bridges, at one Yellowstone River bridge, and along 

18 mi of the Missouri River through Bismarck, N. Dak., during the 2011 flood. The hydrographic surveys around bridge 

structures were used by the North Dakota Department of 

Transportation as a tool to evaluate the structural integrity of 

the bridges and ensure public safety. In areas where multiple 

surveys were conducted, the data provided information about 

the changing river conditions throughout the flood. In addition, these hydrographic surveys were conducted to provide 

baseline information on riverbed elevations for possible comparison to future surveys and to further understand the fluvial 

geomorphology of the river system. 

Description of Study Area

The hydrographic surveys described in this report 

occurred at multiple noncontiguous locations in North Dakota. 

The Missouri River in North Dakota consists of two freeflowing reaches of river separated by an impounded section. 

The most upstream section extends 50 mi from the Montana/

North Dakota border to the headwaters of Lake Sakakawea 

(fig. 1). The impounded section, created by Garrison Dam 

(fig. 1), extends 135 mi. The downstream section extends 

90 mi from Garrison Dam to the headwaters of Lake Oahe, 

created by Oahe Dam in South Dakota (fig. 1). Three of the 

six bridges surveyed are located in the Bismarck area—West 

Bismarck Expressway Bridge [State highway (ND Hwy) 

810], Memorial Highway Bridge (Business Loop I-94), and 

Grant Marsh Bridge (I-94) (fig. 2). The width of the river at 

the West Bismarck Expressway Bridge was approximately 

1,250 feet (ft); at Memorial Highway Bridge, 1,070 ft; and 

at Grant Marsh Bridge, 580 ft. The other bridge surveyed in 

the Garrison/Oahe reach is near Washburn, N. Dak., approximately 30 mi downstream from Garrison Dam (fig. 3). The 

Missouri River channel width in the vicinity of the Washburn 

Bridge (ND Hwy 200) was estimated to be 1,050 ft. Two of 

the Missouri River bridges surveyed are in northwest North 

Dakota in the reach from the State border to the headwaters of 

Lake Sakakawea—the bridge at Buford (ND Hwy 58), where 

the channel was approximately 720 ft wide, and the bridge at 

Williston [Federal highway (U.S. Hwy) 85], where the channel 

was approximately 1,200 ft wide (fig. 4). The Buford Bridge 

is approximately 1.5 mi downstream from the Montana/

North Dakota border, 2.8 mi upstream from the Yellowstone/

Missouri River confluence, and 1.5 mi southwest of Buford, 

N. Dak. The bridge near Williston is 5 mi southwest of Williston, N. Dak., approximately 25 mi downstream from the 

Yellowstone/Missouri River confluence, and approximately 

10 mi upstream from Lake Sakakawea; the exact distance 

depends on water levels in the lake. The Yellowstone River 

bridge is 2 mi west of Cartwright, N. Dak., on ND Hwy 200 in 

northwest North Dakota (fig. 4). The Yellowstone River channel width in the vicinity of the Cartwright Bridge was approximately 690 ft; the bridge is approximately 8.7 mi upstream 

from the river mouth. 
110° 100° 9

45°40°

WYOMING

COLORADO

KANSAS

MISSOURI

NEBRASKA

IOWA

SOUTH DAKOTA

NORTH DAKOTA

MONTANA

Base from World Terrain Base by Esri, 2012a, 1:70,000Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)

EXPLANATION

Missouri RiveStudy locatioMissouri Rive

0 

0 100 200 300 400

100 200 300 

500 

Lake Oahe

Lake Sakakawea

Fort PeckLake

Lake Sharpe

Lake Francis Case

Lewis and Clark Lake

OAHE DAM

BIG BEND DAM

GARRISON DAM

FORT PECK DAM

GAVINS POINT DAM

FORT RANDALL DAM

Omaha

Casper

Denver

Billings

Bismarck

Sioux City

Kansas City

ROCKY MOUNTAINS

Jefferson River

Madison River

Gallatin River

Missouri

River

River

River

North Platte

River

South Platte

Platte

River Missouri

River Yellowstone

Figure 1. The Missouri River basin, dams, reservoirs, and study locations. 
101°00’ 100°55’ 100°50’ 100°45’ 100°40’

46°55’

46°50’

46°45’

Fargo

Grand Forks

Yellowstone 

River

Missouri River

Missouri River

NORTH DAKOTA

Bismarck

Study location

Bismarck

Mandan

13

19

20

18

15

16

17

14

11

12

10

1

3

4

6

5

2

8

9

7

MORTON COUNTY

BURLEIGH COUNTY

Grant Marsh Bridge

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

Missouri River

Missouri Rive r

Sibley 2

Double Ditch

University of Mary

Missouri River at Bismarck, 

North Dakota (06342500)

Burnt

Bismarck Gage 

Water Cover

94

83

810

25

1806 1804

1806

94

83

1804 6

Survey sector and number

Bismark-Mandan urbanized area

Interstate or highway

Survey benchmark and name

North

Middle

South

Bridge survey area

U.S. Geological Survey streamgage

with name and (number)

EXPLANATION

Landmark

1

7

13

Bismarck Gage 

Water Cover

Base from U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, 1:2,000,000

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14

Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)

West Bismarck 

Expressway 

Bridge

Memorial Highway Bridge

Double Ditch Indian Village State historic site

Missouri River at Bismarck, 

North Dakota (06342500)

4 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

Figure 2. Location of Missouri River bridge survey sectors, 

survey benchmarks, and U.S. Geological Survey streamgage 

06342500 at Bismarck, North Dakota.
Fargo

Grand Forks

Yellowstone 

River

Missouri River

Yellowstone 

River

Missouri River

NORTH DAKOTA

Bismarck

Study location

101°25’ 101°20’ 101°15’ 101°10’ 101°05’

47°30’

47°25’

47°20’

47°15’

Washburn

Lake

Sakakawea

GARRISON DAM

OLIVER COUNTY

MCCLEAN COUNTY

MERCER COUNTY

Missouri River

EXPLANATION

0 1 2 3 4 5 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 5 KILOMETERS

83

83

200

48

31

31 200

48

Washburn

Interstate or highway

Survey benchmark and name

Bridge survey area

Washburn

Base from U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, 1:2,000,000

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14

Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)

Introduction 5

Figure 3. Location of Missouri River bridge survey area at 

Washburn Bridge near Washburn, North Dakota, and survey 

benchmark.
104°00’ 103°55’ 103°50’ 103°45’ 103°40’ 103°35’ 103°30’

48°05’

48°00’

47°55’

47°50’

Fargo

Grand Forks

Yellowstone 

River

Missouri River

Missouri River

NORTH DAKOTA

Bismarck

Study location

WILLIAMS COUNTY

MCKENZIE COUNTY

Buford Bridge

Base from U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, 1:2,000,000

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14

Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)

Cartwright

Bridge

Williston

Bridge

Buford

Williston

Cartwright

Missouri River near 

 Williston, North Dakota 

 (06330000)

Yellowstone River near Sidney, Montana (06329500), approximately 

21 river miles upstream from Cartwright Bridge

Missouri River

Yellowstone

River

MONTANA

NORTH DAKOTA

Missouri River near Culbertson, Montana (06185500), 

approximately 34 river miles upstream from

Buford Bridge

85

1804

1804 2

58

68

200

Williston

Buford

Cartwright

Lake

Sakakawea

0 2 4 6 8 MILES

0 2 4 6 8 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION

Interstate or highway

Survey benchmark and name

Bridge survey area

U.S. Geological Survey streamgage

with name and (number)

Cartwright

Missouri River near 

Williston, North Dakota 

(06330000)

6 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

Figure 4. Location of Missouri and Yellowstone River bridge survey 

areas, survey benchmarks, and U.S. Geological Survey streamgage 

06330000 near Williston, North Dakota.
Methods of Study 7

The 18-mi survey of the Missouri River main channel 

through Bismarck extended from approximately the University of Mary (Sibley Bend) to Double Ditch Indian Village 

State historic site (fig. 2). This survey covered the main channel wherever depth was sufficient for sonar survey, typically 

greater than 4.5 ft. The survey was broken up into 20 sectors, 

each approximately 4,900 ft in length (fig. 2). This section of 

river varies in width from 450 to 1,770 ft. The river channel in 

the southern survey sectors was wide and shallow, whereas the 

river channel in the middle and northern survey sectors was 

narrower, typically ranging from 450 to 1,100 ft in width. 

The Missouri River channel is a sand-bed river through 

most of its length, including the stretches in North Dakota; 

however, the lower Yellowstone River has a gravel-framework 

bed, typically buried by sand. Berkas (1995) reported that 

the reach of the Missouri River from Garrison Dam to the 

headwaters of Lake Oahe had bed sediment consisting mostly 

of sand-sized particles. Berkas found exceptions to this just 

below Garrison Dam where some bed-sediment samples collected contained gravel and at one sampling location the bed 

consisted of bedrock. Berkas (1995) also reports that the dam 

and reservoir system on the Missouri River has affected the 

river by increasing stream width below the dam (Garrison) 

and increasing the streambed and bank erosion. This increased 

erosion likely contributes to and increases suspended-sediment 

load. The Missouri River system in North Dakota is controlled 

by dams with minimal bank protection and in-channel structures. Missouri River flow into North Dakota is controlled by 

Fort Peck Dam (fig. 1). Within North Dakota the main control 

on the river is Garrison Dam, which created Lake Sakakawea. 

In the free-flowing sections of river in North Dakota, channel erosion and migration occur as a result of minimal bank 

protection. The sediment dynamics in the free-flowing sections 

of the Missouri River in North Dakota are those of a sandbed stream with large effects from the upstream dams and 

reservoirs. 

Methods of Study

Hydrographic surveys were conducted using a highresolution MBES mapping system. Although two crews in two 

boats collected the data, all surveys were conducted using the 

same high-resolution MBES mapping system and the same 

surveying methods. These systems and surveying methods are 

described in the following sections. The hydrographic survey 

data initially were in meters and were converted to United 

States survey feet (US ft). 

Description of Equipment

The high-resolution MBES mapping system used during 

the hydrographic surveys at six Missouri River bridges, at 

one Yellowstone River bridge, and along 18 mi of the Missouri River through Bismarck, N. Dak., consisted of several 

components, including the MBES, the inertial measurement 

unit (IMU) and navigation system, and a data-collection/navigation computer. Detailed descriptions of this system can be 

found in Huizinga and others (2010) and Huizinga (2010). 

The MBES, or sonar, used on both survey boats was the 

RESON SeaBatTM 7125 (RESON A/S, Slangerup, Denmark) 

operating at a frequency of 400 kilohertz (kHz). The SeaBatTM 

7125 units were operated in the equi-distance mode during the 

surveys. The equi-distance mode collects 512 equally spaced 

depth readings each time the projector sends out one sound 

wave (a ping), which has been transformed into beams. In this 

mode, the beams cover a 128-degree (°) cross-track swath1

that is focused within a 1° along-track area (RESON, Inc., 

2006). The maximum depth that this sonar can survey is 650 ft 

(table 1). The MBES consists of several components, including a projector, receiver, link-control unit (LCU), and sonar 

processor. 

The projector and receiver were mounted on a pole on 

the side of the boat (fig. 5A–D). Both boats had similar mounts 

that rotate the sonar head to latch into a fixed position when 

the sonar is submerged, but the latch can be manually released 

to raise the sonar out of the water, or the latch can self-release 

if the unit is struck against an obstruction in the water (fig. 5). 

The mounting bracket allows for the projector and receiver to 

be rotated up to 20 degrees toward or away from the boat so 

that the sound wave is projected obliquely instead of straight 

down (fig. 6). The projector and receiver are each an array 

of piezo-electric ceramics that transform the sound wave 

into beams through constructive and destructive interference (fig. 6A). A sound velocity probe (RESON SVP-71) is 

attached to the sonar head that is submerged (fig. 6B). The 

speed of sound, as recorded by the sound velocity probe, 

is continuously monitored near the projector and receiver 

1

Words in bold can be found in the glossary at the end of the report.

Table 1. RESON SeaBatTM 7125 specifications for the multibeam 

echosounder used for hydrographic surveys, 2011.

[kHz, kilohertz; ft, feet; °, degrees; Hz, hertz; CW, continuous wave; 

in., inches; μseconds, microseconds]

Frequency 400 kHz

Maximum depth 650 ft

Swath coverage 128°

Beam width 0.5° x 1°

Number of beams 256/512 equi-angle or 512 equi-distant

Maximum update rate 50 Hz

Wave form Gated CW

Depth resolution 0.2 in.

Pulse length 33 to 300 μseconds

System control 7-P processor unit

Mounting angle 20 to -20 degrees
A B

C D

Sonar head

Sonar head

8 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

sonar will display. Display depth range partially controls the 

ping rate by estimating the maximum return time for a ping. 

The display depth range for the RESON SeaBatTM 7125 is 

16.4 to 984.25 ft. During surveying, the display depth-range 

setting (from 5 to 90 ft) was changed often to correspond to 

the changing survey depth. The transmit power increases or 

decreases the amount of acoustic energy transmitted into the 

water. The RESON SeaBatTM 7125 has an acoustic range from 

OFF to 220 decibels (dB). During the surveys described in 

this report, the power was always set at 220 dB. Maximum 

ping rate limits the number of pings per second (p/s), making 

it lower than the standard ping rate for that range setting. The 

RESON SeaBatTM 7125 has a ping rate from OFF to 50 p/s. 

During surveying, ping rate is typically varied for upstream 

and downstream passes to collect a similar amount of data 

as the boat moves slowly upstream against the current and 

quickly downstream with the current. The ping rate was set to 

10 p/s for upstream passes and 30 p/s for downstream passes. 

Pulse length controls the length of time the sonar signal is 

transmitted. Pulse length on the RESON SeaBatTM 7125 can 

range from 10 microseconds (μs) to 300 μs. A narrow pulse 

arrays so depths can be accurately calculated for each sounding (RESON, Inc., 2008). If a temperature gradient is present 

through the water column, a profiling sound velocity probe 

(not shown) is used to collect a speed-of-sound profile through 

the water column at multiple locations in the survey area, 

and these data are used during data processing to correct the 

recorded depths. 

The SeaBatTM 7125 MBES is controlled by a sonar processor, a high-performance computer that manages data flow 

and signal attributes (power, ping rate, pulse length, gain). The 

sonar processor receives digitized sonar data from the LCU, 

receives operational settings, provides beam forming and 

initial processing of acoustical data, controls data formats and 

outputs to external systems, and receives the sound-velocity 

data (RESON, Inc., 2008). Software on the sonar processor 

provides a graphical user interface for operational settings, 

system control, data output, storage, and built-in test environment displays. The main system configurations controlled by 

the surveyor are sonar display depth range, transmit power, 

maximum ping rate, pulse length, and receiver gain. The 

display depth range controls the maximum distance that the 

Figure 5. Hydrographic surveying using multibeam echosounder systems as installed on USGS-Nebraska boat with (A) sonar head 

rotated out of water and (B) sonar head submerged during data collection, and on USGS-Missouri boat with (C) sonar head rotated 

out of the water and (D) sonar head submerged during data collection. All photographs taken by William C. Damschen, U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS): A and B taken June 6, 2011, and C and D taken June 8, 2011.
Piezoceramic

projector

array

Piezoceramic

receiver array

Fixed, tiltable

head

SVP-71 sound

velocity

probe

Head tilt

mechanism

A B

Methods of Study 9

length provides high resolution in shallow depths, but a wider 

pulse length provides maximum range with low-resolution 

images. Pulse length was typically set from 40 μs to 60 μs for 

the shallow riverine survey areas. Receiver gain controls the 

increase in the amplitude applied to the returned sonar signal 

in addition to the calculated time-varied gain (TVG). The 

gain settings for the RESON SeaBatTM 7125 range from 0.0 to 

83.0 dB. Receiver gain was typically set for 30 to 40 dB. 

The IMU and navigation system used with the MBES on 

both boats was an Applanix Position Orientation Solution for 

Marine Vessels (POS MVTM) WaveMaster system (Applanix 

Corp., Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada). The POS MVTM

system consists of two Trimble Zephyr Global Positioning 

System (GPS)/Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) 

antennas (Trimble Navigation, Ltd., Sunnyvale, Calif.), the 

IMU, and a POS computer system that is configured and 

monitored through MV-POS View Controller. The MV-POS 

View Controller is operated using the sonar processor. The 

IMU consists of three linear accelerometers and three solidstate gyroscopes arranged in a triaxial orthogonal array to 

sense acceleration and angular motion in all three axes. The 

POS MVTM system provides position, roll and pitch angle, 

true heading, and real-time heave of the boat to correct the 

MBES data. In addition to the dual GPS/GNSS antennas and 

the IMU, the POS MVTM system has the capability of utilizing 

Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS/GNSS correction information. The POS MVTM GPS/GNSS azimuth Measurement 

Subsystem and RTK solution were used during the survey, so 

the accuracy of the roll and pitch measured was 0.02°, heave 

was 0.164 ft, heading was 0.06°, position was 0.06 to 0.30 ft, 

and velocity was 0.164 feet per second (ft/s) (Applanix Corporation, 2006). The POS MVTM system measured boat position 

and motion accurately during short GPS/GNSS outages, which 

occurred near shorelines and under bridges. 

All the sounding and motion data were combined, saved, 

and displayed using the HYPACK®/HYSWEEP® software 

(HYPACK, Inc., 2007a and 2007b) that was running on either 

a separate desktop computer or on the sonar processor in the 

field during data collection. The HYPACK®/HYSWEEP® 

software allowed the surveyor and boat pilot to view the 

collected data for evaluation and navigation, respectively. 

Orthophotographs and other background data were loaded 

into the HYPACK®/HYSWEEP® software for geographical reference. In addition, survey lines and designated survey 

areas were drawn in HYPACK®/HYSWEEP® software for 

additional navigation, and targets of locations-of-interest were 

collected throughout the survey. 

The high-resolution MBES system used for hydrographic 

surveys described in this report was able to produce highquality data only when all of the components operated seamlessly together. The positions of each sensor were precisely 

known in relation to all others, calibrations were completed 

to determine the exact position of the projector and receiver 

as it was mounted, timing between all computers precisely 

Figure 6. RESON SeaBatTM 7125 multibeam echosounder components that are submerged during data collection, shown 

as (A) bottom view and (B) top oblique view. (From Huizinga and others, 2010).
10 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

agreed, and the surveyor ensured that all settings were correct 

and adequate for the survey environment and that all data were 

being transferred, utilized, and stored correctly. A schematic 

diagram (fig. 7) shows the MBES system components and the 

manner in which each component was linked to produce the 

final survey data. 

Survey Methods

The same procedures were used to survey each study 

area, as well as process each dataset. The MBES was set up 

on each boat in a standard sensor configuration and surveyed 

using a total station, which is an electronic transit or a laser 

surveying instrument, to determine the inter-sensor offsets. 

Field Procedures

The first step in conducting each MBES hydrographic 

survey was to establish a GPS base station to provide GPS/

GNSS positional correction information to the survey boat 

during data collection. If a pre-existing, high-accuracy [elevation, orthometric height, or ellipsoid height published by the 

National Geodetic Survey (NGS) or other trusted organization 

to the nearest millimeter] survey benchmark was not in close 

proximity to the survey area, a new USGS benchmark was 

set. A GPS/GNSS base station was then established over the 

previously known or newly set benchmark. The first surveys 

of all bridges were conducted using a base station set up over 

a newly set benchmark using estimated coordinates. The 

satellite data logged by the base receiver were post-processed 

through the NGS Online Positioning Users Service (OPUS) to 

determine survey-grade coordinates for the benchmark after 

the hydrographic surveying was complete. Once the benchmark data were post-processed, an offset from the estimated 

coordinates to the survey-grade coordinates was calculated 

so that the hydrographic dataset from that survey site could 

be corrected. The second survey at each bridge site was then 

conducted with the base station again set up on the newly 

established benchmark, but using the OPUS-derived coordinates, so no offset adjustment to the dataset was needed during 

data processing. Similarly, the newly established benchmarks 

and the pre-existing NGS benchmark were used during the 

survey of 18 mi of river through the Bismarck reach, which 

had known coordinates prior to that surveying, so no offset 

correction was needed during data processing. 

The surveyor typically configured the survey details by 

using HYPACK®/HYSWEEP® software, including selection 

of geodetic coordinate information, survey units, software 

drivers to allow communication with all components, and 

survey matrix delineating the survey area. The survey area 

at each bridge site extended 820 ft upstream from the bridge 

to 820 ft downstream from the bridge. The survey area for 

the 18-mi reach was divided into 20 sectors, each 4,900 ft in 

length. 

During a typical survey, there was a crew of two aboard 

the boat: one piloted the boat while the surveyor operated the 

sonar unit. The sonar operator (surveyor) adjusted the settings 

as necessary to maintain data quality during collection at each 

particular survey location. The sonar operator also recorded 

notes of file names, survey locations, tide accuracy, and other 

information that would be useful for data processing, such 

as underwater structures detected and sounding quality. The 

sonar operator also evaluated all the positioning and motion 

data being collected to ensure that the sonar data could later 

be accurately corrected. The pilot monitored the chart display 

showing the boat’s location within the survey area and the data 

being collected. The chart view allowed the pilot to navigate 

to areas that had not been surveyed and to ensure that data 

overlapped between passes. In this fashion, the pilot ensured 

that there was full bed coverage to the extent that time and 

water depth allowed. 

If the surveyor determined that the positioning data collected were not adequate to accurately determine the watersurface elevation, then additional water-surface elevation 

information was collected using a GPS/GNSS unit independent of those units used by the boat navigation system. This 

GPS/GNSS unit received, by radio, the base-station correction 

information to accurately correct the satellite-relayed information and determine a water-surface elevation. These elevation 

data were then applied during post-processing, as needed.

During the hydrographic surveys, additional data were 

collected to calibrate the mounting position of the MBES 

unit, and that procedure is described below in the “Quality 

Assurance/Quality Control” section of this report. At the end 

of each day of surveying, the data collected in HYPACK®/

HYSWEEP® software were saved from the boat computers 

onto an external hard drive for backup. 

Data-Processing Procedures

Processing of MBES data required several steps and software that is capable of working with large datasets. The USGS 

used three different software packages to process multibeam 

data: HYPACK®/HYSWEEP® software, CARIS HIPS and 

SIPTM and Bathy DataBASE: Base EditorTM software (CARIS, 

2012a and 2012b), and Esri’s ArcMap software (Esri, 2012b). 

Prior to editing the data, all offset values and calibration 

values were either determined or evaluated, and the values 

were applied to the dataset before it was finalized. Calibration values were determined from processing data collected 

specifically for the calibration test. This process is described in 

the “Quality Assurance/Quality Control” section of this report. 

Offset values were determined for each boat’s set up and did 

not change as long as mounting points remained unaltered; 

however, the surveyor is required to verify that all offsets were 

entered correctly for each dataset. 
Methods of Study 11

Figure 7. High-resolution multibeam echosounder system components (from RESON, Inc., written commun., 2007).

POS MV

Wavemaster

PCS

RTK radio

IMU

Hub

data-acquisition

computer

Sonar processor

SVP 70 

LCU

Rx Tx

Sound

velocity 

profiler

GPS base GPS GPS

HYPACK/HYSWEEP

GGA, HDT, ZDA, and 1 PPS

1 PPS

and

ZDA 

1 PPS

EXPLANATION

GPS fix data

Global Positioning System

Heading information

Ethernet network hub 

Inertial Measurement Unit

Link Control Unit

Marine vessel

POS computer system

Position and orientation system

Pulse per second

Real-time kinematic

Receiver

Sound velocity probe model 70

Projector or transmitter

Time and date information

GGA

GPS

HDT

Hub

IMU

LCU

MV

PCS

POS

PPS

RTK

Rx

SVP 70

Tx

ZDA
12 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

Next, water-surface (or tide) values were reviewed to 

ensure that accurate corrections were applied to the depth 

measurements to calculate riverbed elevation. If water-surface 

elevations were not accurate enough (determined by having 

a fixed GPS/GNSS solution) throughout the dataset, then 

manual tides were applied by creating tide files. One tide file 

was created for the upstream survey extent per sector, also 

called a matrix, per day, and one tide file was created for 

the downstream survey extent per sector or matrix per day. 

Upstream and downstream tide files were used together by 

the processing software to calculate tide values for the entire 

matrix. Tide files can also incorporate change of tide throughout the day if necessary. The values used in these tide files 

were either water-surface elevations, as determined by a GPS/

GNSS unit independent of the unit used for boat navigation, or 

the upstream and downstream averages of the elevation data 

collected by the boat’s navigation system that met the accuracy requirements (had fixed GPS/GNSS solutions).

After tide-correction values were determined and applied 

to the dataset, filters were applied to remove some of the 

erroneous data points from the hydrographic dataset. Filters 

removed some data points that did not agree within 0.03 ft 

with nearby data points. Data points flagged as low-quality 

because they were collected at low signal strength and (or) 

because they were not collinear in elevation/depth were 

removed. Data points from the extreme outside beams of the 

swath were removed as well. Data from outside beams were 

removed because they are typically very noisy; when data 

coverage is sufficient, removal of these data will not affect 

the completeness of the survey. After filters were applied, 

each swath (width of a single passage or 128°, made up of 

many sonar pings with each ping containing 512 soundings) 

was evaluated manually to ensure that all outliers had been 

removed and that all data were deemed corrected.

The corrected data then were rasterized and exported in 

small sections. A grid with 1.64-ft-by-1.64-ft cells that covered 

the survey area was used to reduce the dataset by averaging 

all data points within a cell so that the average bed elevation 

associated with the center of each grid cell was exported. The 

full point-dataset was typically very large and difficult to work 

with in many software programs, so dataset reduction was 

typically necessary. On the smaller survey sections, such as 

those at bridge sites, this initial data export was the final x-y-z 

dataset. However, on the larger survey sections of the 18-mi 

reach, a second gridding step was necessary because the size 

of the dataset reduced with 1.64-ft-by-1.64-ft cells was too 

large to export as one continuous grid and to ensure a seamless edge match between all exported sections. Therefore, 

once all sections of large survey areas had been exported from 

HYPACK®/HYSWEEP® software using grids with 1.64-ft 

cells, they were all gridded a second time to produce a final 

3.28-ft cell x-y-z dataset. CARIS Bathy DataBASE: Base EditorTM software was used to open the multiple reduced datasets 

from HYPACK®/HYSWEEP® software and create the final 

3.28-ft cell x-y-z data by calculating a mean-distance weighted 

average for each cell.

Once the x-y-z datasets were exported, those surveys 

that were collected with coordinates referenced to an autonomous or unknown benchmark position needed to have an 

offset correction applied; the correction was based on the 

final benchmark coordinates as calculated using OPUS from 

NGS. To process the GPS/GNSS data collected at unknown 

benchmarks, the data files collected by the receiver were 

downloaded, the proprietary files were converted to RINEX 

(Receiver Independent Exchange) format, and the RINEX files 

were submitted to OPUS through an online utility (National 

Geodetic Survey, 2012a). The submitted data were processed 

by NGS using reference data from Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) (National Geodetic Survey, 

2012b) to determine a corrected position for the newly established benchmark. The report returned by NGS included error 

estimates and other information useful for evaluating the quality of the final coordinates determined. The offset between the 

autonomous base-station position assumed during surveying 

and the final coordinates for the benchmark was calculated, 

and the x-y-z data were adjusted accordingly, resulting in final 

corrected x-y-z datasets. 

The final steps in data processing included conversion 

from meter to U.S. survey feet, evaluation of data using Esri’s 

ArcMap software, creation of files that allow the user to easily 

view the large datasets, and creation of metadata for each file. 

CARIS Bathy DataBASE: Base EditorTM software was used 

to create CARIS Spatial ArchiveTM (CSARTM) format files that 

can be opened with public-domain software and that allow 

for easy two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) 

viewing of large datasets. Metavist software (Rugg, 2004) was 

used to create the metadata containing documentation of the 

methods, cartographic projection, and other important information about each dataset. 

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

Two primary methods were used for quality assurance 

and quality control (QA/QC) during collection and processing of data with the MBES system: operator QA/QC during 

collection and patch tests. During collection of hydrographic 

data, the sonar operator was continuously checking the data 

being logged for poor soundings (such as those that had low 

intensity or were not collinear with the surrounding data) and 

adjusting settings on the system to ensure the best possible 

data were collected. The surveyor also compared the data 

collected in overlapping sections to ensure that the data being 

collected were similar to those from previous passes. 

Patch tests are short survey transects or lines located in 

specifically selected areas and surveyed, in certain directions, 

to determine orientation and timing offsets of the MBES with 

respect to the IMU. Survey data were collected in HYPACK®/

HYSWEEP® software as normal, but data from these 
Hydrographic Surveys on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers at Selected Bridges 13

specific survey transects or lines were further evaluated using 

HYPACK®/HYSWEEP® software to determine latency and 

offset values. Patch tests were used to determine the latency 

or timing difference between the MBES and the POS MVTM

positioning data. In addition, patch tests were used to determine the angular offsets of the MBES projector/receiver with 

respect to the IMU. These angular offsets are referred to as 

roll, pitch, and yaw. Uncorrected latency, pitch, and yaw offsets appear as horizontal offsets in the collected data, whereas 

an uncorrected roll offset appears as vertical and horizontal 

offsets in the data.

The latency test was used to determine a timing offset 

(Δt) between the MBES system and the positioning or GPS 

component of the POS MVTM as shown in figure 8A. Timing 

offsets were determined by collecting data on the same line 

over a slope or feature in the same direction, but at two different speeds: fast and slow. The latency test performed for this 

survey found that the latency was zero for the collected data 

from both survey boats (Δt=0).

A roll test was used to determine the angular offset of the 

MBES projector/receiver alignment with respect to the IMU 

orientation along the longitudinal axis of the boat. This angle 

is shown in figure 8B as α. To determine the roll-angle offset, 

α, data were collected over a flat area on one line; data were 

collected twice while the boat moved in opposite directions. 

The roll test performed for this survey found that the roll 

angle offset (α) was equal to -19.6° for the Nebraska survey 

boat, which is expected because the projector/receiver was 

intentionally rolled at approximately -20°. The roll test for the 

Missouri survey boat found the roll angle offset (α) was equal 

to -0.1° before the mount was bent from hitting a submerged 

log and -2.8° after. 

The pitch test was used to determine the angular offset 

of the MBES transducer projector/receiver alignment with 

respect to the IMU orientation in the lateral axis or along the 

track direction of the boat. The pitch-offset angle is shown as 

angle β in figure 8C. To determine the pitch-angle offset, β, 

one line was surveyed twice over a slope or feature; data were 

collected twice while the boat moved in opposite directions. 

The pitch test performed for this survey found that the pitch 

angle offset (β) was equal to -3° for the Nebraska survey boat 

and 2.5° both before hitting the submerged log and after for 

the Missouri survey boat.

The yaw test was used to determine the angular offset 

of the MBES projector/receiver alignment with respect to the 

IMU orientation about the vertical axis. The yaw-offset angle 

is shown as angle δ in figure 8D. To determine the yaw-angle 

offset, δ, two lines were collected parallel to each other while 

the boat moved in the same direction over a slope or feature. 

The yaw test performed for this survey found that the yaw 

angle offset (δ) was equal to 3.5° for the Nebraska survey boat 

and 3.3° both before hitting the submerged log and after for 

the Missouri survey boat.

Overall accuracy of the hydrographic data presented in 

this report is estimated to be ± 0.7 ft. This estimate is based 

on equipment specifications, evaluation of overlap data, and 

previous data collection with this equipment. Accuracy of 

hydrographic survey data is typically challenging to evaluate 

since there are limited underwater areas with known elevation. However, the quality of hydrographic surveys is often 

described by uncertainty estimates called Total Propagated 

Uncertainty (TPU) (CARIS, 2011). A TPU calculation was 

not completed for these hydrographic survey data because 

the workflow, which included both HYPACK®/HYSWEEP® 

software and CARIS Bathy DataBASE: Base EditorTM software, was not compatible with efficiently calculating TPU. 

Hydrographic Surveys on the Missouri 

and Yellowstone Rivers at Selected 

Bridges

The initial surveys of six Missouri River bridges and one 

Yellowstone River bridge were conducted during June 6–9, 

2011 (table 2). The upstream and downstream extent of each 

survey area, approximately 1,640 ft in total length, was summarized by mid-channel point location (table 2). The three 

Missouri River bridges in Bismarck were surveyed a second time as part of the 18-mi Bismarck-reach survey during 

June 28–July 8, 2011, and a resurvey of the Washburn Bridge 

was completed on July 9, 2011 (table 2). 

The benchmarks used to georeference these bridge surveys, both newly established and NGS benchmarks, are listed 

in table 3. Data collected by the base receiver each survey day 

was processed through NGS OPUS, either to establish highquality coordinates at a newly established benchmark (referred 

to as an “OPUS Primary” benchmark type in table 3) or as 

a quality-assurance check (referred to as an “OPUS Check” 

in table 3). Most locations from OPUS checks matched the 

published or established horizontal coordinates accurately; 

however, some of the elevation checks did not. All the OPUS 

checks made on the NGS published benchmark designated 

Sibley 2 (NGS permanent identifier AE1790; National Geodetic Survey, 2012c) varied by an average of 0.2 ft in ellipsoid height and 0.4 ft in orthometric height. The orthometric 

height value of Sibley 2 was published using precision to 

one-tenth meter (568.0 m or 1,864 ft); however, the ellipsoid 

height was published by NGS with much higher precision 

(546.433 meters or 1,792.756 ft), so the ellipsoid height was 

used for the survey. The OPUS check on Bismarck Gage 

Water Cover benchmark (fig. 2) on July 3, 2011, differed from 

the primary coordinates by a little more than 0.2 ft in both the 

ellipsoid and the orthometric height from the OPUS Primary 

heights surveyed July 2, 2011. There are two OPUS Primary 

coordinates listed in table 3 for Bismarck Gage Water Cover 

because when surveyed June 6, 2011, the exact benchmark 

location was not physically marked, only described by the 

surveyor. When surveyed during July, a different survey crew 
14 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

used the benchmark but could not be certain that the benchmark used was exactly the same point as that used previously; 

therefore, new coordinates were established. All other OPUS 

checks, excluding the two times when data were collected for 

a short time span or at the incorrect time interval, differed by 

less than 0.2 ft from the OPUS primary or published coordinates (table 3). 

Figure 8. Effects of (A) timing offset for latency, and angular offsets for (B) roll, (C) pitch, and (D) yaw on data from a multibeam 

echosounder (from Huizinga, 2011).

A B Dt

Dt

a

a

a

b

b

b d

d

C D

Sounding to actual bottom

Sounding to measured bottom

Timing offset for latency between the multibeam echosounder and Global 

Positioning System components of the navigation and motion-sensing system

Angular offset for roll of the transducer head along the longitudinal axis of the boat

Angular offset for pitch of the transducer head along the lateral axis of the boat

Angular offset for yaw of the transducer head about the vertical axis

EXPLANATION

d
Table 2. Dates and locations of hydrographic surveys at bridge sites and sections on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, North Dakota, during the [US, upstream; DS, downstream; ND, North Dakota; Hwy, Highway; °, degree; ′, minute; ′′, second; N, north; W, west]

Site Survey date

US middle of channel DS 

Latitude Longitude Latitude 

West Bismarck Expressway Bridge (ND Hwy 810) 6/6/2011 46°47′53.4836′′N 100°49′11.6147′′W 46°47′36.493Grant Marsh Bridge (I-94) 6/6/2011 46°49′28.4834′′N 100°49′52.7656′′W 46°49′16.982Memorial Highway Bridge (Business Loop I-94) 6/7/2011 46°48′35.7062′′N 100°49′13.5328′′W 46°48′15.671Cartwright Bridge (ND Hwy 200, Yellowstone River) 6/8/2011 47°51′33.6619′′N 103°58′01.2039′′W 47°51′51.138Buford Bridge (ND Hwy 58) 6/8/2011 47°59′08.83′′N 104°01′03.1515′′W 47°58′53.639Williston Bridge (U.S. Hwy 85) 6/8/2011 48°06′27.4485′′N 103°43′07.8039′′W 48°06′41.286Washburn Bridge (ND Hwy 200) 6/9/2011 47°17′23.5024′′N 101°02′46.9623′′W 47°17′14.237Sector 1 6/28/2011 46°44′06.9861′′N 100°47′02.3006′′W 46°43′26.369Sector 2 7/2/2011 46°44′07.4763′′N 100°48′10.3257′′W 46°44′06.986Sector 3 7/1/2011 46°44′24.0951′′N 100°49′01.7078′′W 46°44′07.476Sector 4 6/29/2011, 7/1/2011 46°44′48.8894′′N 100°49′52.8715′′W 46°44′24.095Sector 5 6/29/2011 46°45′30.1802′′N 100°50′16.4459′′W 46°44′48.889Sector 6 6/29/2011 46°46′18.2191′′N 100°50′04.4923′′W 46°45′30.180Sector 7 7/3/2011 46°46′55.4463′′N 100°49′26.3185′′W 46°46′18.219Sector 8 7/3/2011 46°47′39.0106′′N 100°49′12.6774′′W 46°46′55.446Sector 9/Memorial Highway/West Bismarck Expressway Bridges 7/3/2011 46°48′35.3241′′N 100°49′14.7215′′W 46°47′39.010Sector 10 7/2/2011 46°49′17.1212′′N 100°49′43.7106′′W 46°48′35.324Sector 11/Grant Marsh Bridge (I-94) 7/5/2011 46°49′40.6001′′N 100°50′42.1176′′W 46°49′17.121Sector 12 7/5/2011 46°50′07.2905′′N 100°51′41.2408′′W 46°49′40.600Sector 13 7/6/2011 46°50′50.7756′′N 100°52′06.9148′′W 46°50′07.290Sector 14 7/6/2011 46°51′37.5318′′N 100°52′22.4344′′W 46°50′50.775Sector 15 7/6/2011, 7/7/2011 46°52′19.2263′′N 100°52′52.8558′′W 46°51′37.531Sector 16 7/7/2011 46°53′02.0841′′N 100°53′25.3534′′W 46°52′19.226Sector 17 7/7/2011 46°53′42.1163′′N 100°54′02.7547′′W 46°53′02.084Sector 18 7/8/2011 46°54′27.0608′′N 100°54′07.9567′′W 46°53′42.116Sector 19 7/8/2011 46°55′12.4198′′N 100°53′47.3296′′W 46°54′27.060Sector 20 7/8/2011 46°55′55.6819′′N 100°54′12.9143′′W 46°55′12.419Washburn Bridge (ND Hwy 200) 7/9/2011 47°17′23.5024′′N 101°02′46.9623′′W 47°17′14.237
16 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

Table 3. Location and location checks of benchmarks used for hydrographic surveys of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, North 

Dakota, during the 2011 flood.

[NAD 83 (CORS96), North American Datum 1983 CORS 96 adjustment; UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; us ft, U.S. survey feet; GRS 80, Geodetic Reference System 1980; NAVD 88, North American Vertical Datum of 1988; Geoid09, model for transforming heights between ellisoidal coordinates and NAVD 88 

orthometric heights; OPUS, Online Positioning User Service; OPUS Primary, is the OPUS solution used as the true location of the benchmark; OPUS Check, is 

the OPUS solution derived from data collected on the benchmark and used to verify accuracy of base-station data collection, --, no data; NGS, National Geodetic 

Survey; AE1790, National Geodetic Survey permanent identifier]

Date Name Type

NAD 83 (CORS 96) Ellipsoid 

height, 

us ft 

(GRS 80)

Orthometric height, 

us ft (NAVD 88 determined from Geoid09) UTM Zone Northing, us ft Easting, us ft

6/6/2011 Bismarck Gage Water 

Cover

OPUS Primary 

(superceded)

14 17,014,730.419 1,184,666.676 1,571.765 1,642.297

6/7/2011 Bismarck Gage Water 

Cover

OPUS Check 14 -- -- -- --

7/2/2011 Bismarck Gage Water 

Cover

OPUS Primary 14 17,014,730.449 1,184,666.715 1,571.165 1,641.696

7/3/2011 Bismarck Gage Water 

Cover

OPUS Check 14 17,014,730.462 1,184,666.692 1,571.368 1,641.900

7/3/2011 Bismarck Gage Water 

Cover

OPUS Check 14 17,014,730.491 1,184,666.637 1,571.171 1,641.703

7/5/2011 Bismarck Gage Water 

Cover

OPUS Check 14 -- -- -- --

6/8/2011 Buford OPUS Primary 13 17,437,791.266 1,881,779.028 1,829.970 1,888.914

6/29/2011 Burnt OPUS Primary 14 17,033,693.852 1,170,380.855 1,588.025 1,658.235

7/6/2011 Burnt OPUS Check 14 17,033,693.757 1,170,380.881 1,588.028 1,658.238

7/7/2011 Burnt OPUS Check 14 17,033,693.843 1,170,380.874 1,588.084 1,658.294

7/7/2011 Burnt OPUS Check 14 17,033,693.833 1,170,380.838 1,588.064 1,658.274

6/8/2011 Cartwright OPUS Primary 13 17,392,836.635 1,894,504.197 1,904.812 1,962.975

6/27/2011 Double Ditch OPUS Primary 14 17,059,023.694 1,166,245.738 1,661.224 1,731.296

7/8/2011 Double Ditch OPUS Check 14 17,059,023.641 1,166,245.837 1,661.050 1,731.122

7/8/2011 Double Ditch OPUS Check 14 17,059,023.677 1,166,245.801 1,661.053 1,731.125

6/28/2011 Sibley 2 OPUS Check 14 16,983,440.944 1,200,838.970 1,792.782 1,863.382

6/29/2011 Sibley 2 OPUS Check 14 16,983,440.918 1,200,838.960 1,792.460 1,863.061

6/30/2011 Sibley 2 OPUS Check 14 16,983,440.895 1,200,839.055 1,792.519 1,863.120

7/1/2011 Sibley 2 OPUS Check 14 16,983,440.935 1,200,839.022 1,792.447 1,863.047

7/2/2011 Sibley 2 OPUS Check 14 16,983,440.944 1,200,839.032 1,792.483 1,863.084

NGS Sibley 2 AE1790 Published 14 16,983,440.931 1,200,839.085 1,792.756 1,864

6/9/2011 Washburn OPUS Primary 14 17,190,032.621 1,133,874.428 1,657.792 1,725.666

7/9/2011 Washburn OPUS Check 14 17,190,032.638 1,133,874.396 1,657.671 1,725.544

6/8/2011 Williston OPUS Primary 13 17,483,744.038 1,954,254.146 1,813.280 1,872.795
Hydrographic Surveys on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers at Selected Bridges 17

Missouri River at West Bismarck Expressway 

Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota

The West Bismarck Expressway Bridge (ND Hwy 810) 

crosses the Missouri River in Bismarck, N. Dak. The bridge 

survey area was surveyed twice during the 2011 flood, on 

June 6 and July 3, 2011 (table 2). The riverbed elevations 

surveyed during June 6, 2011, (ranging from 1,600 to 1,630 ft) 

(fig. 9 and table 4) and during July 3, 2011, (ranging from 

1,595 to 1,631 ft) [fig. 10 (map and elevation scales match 

scales of fig. 9, the June survey) and table 4] were similar. The 

daily mean discharge was 122,000 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) 

during the survey on June 6, 2011, but by the survey on July 

3, 2011, the mean daily discharge had increased by 27,000 

ft3/s to 149,000 ft3/s (table 5). In both surveys, the lowest bed 

elevation surveyed was in a scour hole created by a left-bank 

structure downstream from the bridge (figs. 9 and 10). In this 

report, the terms “left bank” and “right bank” or “left” and 

“right” are referenced from the perspective of one looking 

downstream. Even though the elevation ranges were similar 

for the two surveys, comparison of the data shows that local 

bed scour did occur between the first and second surveys. In 

figure 9, the shallow dune field between the two bridge piers 

on the left side of the channel had a bed elevation that ranged 

from approximately 1,617 to 1,627 ft (yellow to orange) during the June survey, but had been scoured to an approximate 

bed elevation of 1,613 to 1,623 ft by the July survey (fig. 10, 

no orange). The difference between the June and July surveys 

is shown in figure 11; much of the area is shown in turquoise 

and blue hues, representing a positive change in bed elevation 

between the first and second surveys, defined as a decrease in 

bed elevation. Other features in the channel changed between 

the two surveys, including the direction of the left bridge pier 

scour hole and the deeper channel along the left bank. 

On June 6, 2011, the riverbed in the vicinity of four 

piers of the West Bismarck Expressway Bridge was surveyed, 

and on July 3, 2011, the riverbed near three piers was surveyed, but neither survey was able to map the riverbed near 

all the piers. This was because the water level was so near 

the bridge’s deck bottom that not enough clearance remained 

for the survey boats to pass under the bridge. Scour around 

the bridge piers was measured in both surveys, but was often 

greater in the June 6 survey (table 4). The pier nearest the 

left bank had the deepest scour hole in both surveys, approximately 13 ft with a minimum bed elevation of 1,601 ft during 

the June survey and 10 ft with a minimum bed elevation of 

1,602 ft in the July survey (table 4). During the June survey, 

the right and the right-middle bridge piers had scour holes 

approximately 4 and 11 ft deep, respectively. 

The configuration of sand dunes on the riverbed was 

quite different between the two surveys. In the June survey 

the dunes were located mainly in the left half of the channel 

(fig. 9). These dunes were approximately 2 ft high (fig. 9). The 

extent of the sand dunes was much greater in the July 3, 2011, 

survey, and some dunes, such as those upstream from the 

bridge, were approximately 3 ft high (green to yellow; fig. 10). 

Missouri River at Memorial Highway Bridge, 

Bismarck, North Dakota

The Memorial Highway Bridge crosses the Missouri 

River in Bismarck, N. Dak., and its route is designated Business Loop I-94. The riverbed of the survey area centered on 

this bridge was surveyed twice during the 2011 flood: on 

June 7 and July 3, 2011 (table 2). The ranges of bed elevations surveyed during June 7, 2011, (1,595 to 1,634 ft) (fig. 12 

and table 4) and during the July 3, 2011, (1,590 to 1,633 ft) 

[fig. 13 (map and elevation scales match those used for 

fig. 12, June survey) and table 4] were similar. The daily mean 

discharge during the July 3, 2011, survey was 28,000 ft3/s 

higher than during the June 7, 2011, survey (149,000 ft3/s 

and 121,000 ft3/s, respectively; table 5). In both surveys, the 

lowest bed elevation was measured just below a right-bank 

wing dike downstream from the bridge (figs. 12 and 13). The 

differences in channel-bed elevations between the June and 

July surveys are shown in figure 14; areas where general and 

local scour occurred between the surveys are evident. For the 

left half of the channel, figure 14 shows a general decrease 

in bed elevation that is most pronounced along the right side 

of the submerged island downstream from the bridge. On the 

right side of the channel, a large area upstream from the bridge 

was scoured between surveys, whereas some areas downstream from the bridge were scoured and others filled (fig. 14). 

Numerous sand dunes can be seen on the right half of the riverbed in the July survey results (fig. 13), whereas most dunes 

were in the left half of the channel in the June survey (fig. 12). 

The channel bed in the vicinity of four piers of the 

Memorial Highway Bridge was mapped during both surveys. 

Scour around the bridge piers was measured during both surveys, but the depth of the scour holes was greater during the 

June 7 survey (table 4). The pier nearest the right bank had the 

greatest extent of scour in the June survey, and in the July survey, it had the deepest scour hole—6 ft, with a minimum bed 

elevation of 1,606 ft (fig. 13 and table 4). In the June survey, 

the left middle pier had a 9-ft-deep scour hole with a minimum 

bed elevation of 1,616 ft (fig. 12 and table 4). 
Figure 9. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey at West Bismarck Expressway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, June 

0 

0 

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Flow

100°49’40” 100°49’35” 100°49’30” 100°49’25” 100°49’20” 100°49’15” 100°49’10” 100°49’05” 100°49’ 100°48’55” 100°48’50

46°47’55”46°47’50”46°47’45”46°47’40”46°47’35”

810

810

Right middle pier

Left middle pier

Left pier

Dunes

Right pier
Site Survey date

Minimum 

elevation 

(NAVD 88 

us ft)

Maximum 

elevation 

(NAVD 88 

us ft)

Number 

of bridge 

piers 

surveyed

Approximate surrounding bed elevation (NAVD 88 us ft); approxim

elevation (NAVD 88 us ft); approximate scour hole 

Right pier Right middle pier Middle pier Left mid

West Bismarck Expressway 

Bridge (ND Hwy 810)

6/6/2011 1,600 1,630 4 1,613; 1,609; 4 1,615; 1,604; 11 na 1,616; 1,6

West Bismarck Expressway 

Bridge (ND Hwy 810)

7/3/2011 1,595 1,631 3 No data 1,609; 1,606; 3 na 1,620; 1,6

Memorial Highway Bridge 

(Business Loop I-94)

6/7/2011 1,595 1,634 4 1,611; 1,603; 8 1,616; 1,608; 6 na 1,625; 1,6

Memorial Highway Bridge 

(Business Loop I-94)

7/3/2011 1,590 1,633 4 1,612; 1,606; 6 1,615; 1,612; 3 na 1,618; 1,6

Grant Marsh Bridge (I-94) 6/6/2011 1,588 1,633 2 1,610; 1,607; 3 na na na Grant Marsh Bridge (I-94) 7/5/2011 1,584 1,632 2 1,605; 1,599; 6 na na na Washburn Bridge (ND Hwy 200) 6/9/2011 1,626 1,655 5 1,647; 1,641; 6 1,642; 1,633; 9 1,638; 1,627; 11 1,640; naWashburn Bridge (ND Hwy 200) 7/9/2011 1,621 1,659 5 1,638; na; na 1,638; 1,625; 13 1,639; 1,621; 18 1,643; 1,6Williston Bridge (U.S. Hwy 85) 6/8/2011 1,814 1,854 5 1,823; 1,818; 5 1,830; 1,820; 10 1,835; 1,830; 5 1,844; 1,Buford Bridge (ND Hwy 58) 6/8/2011 1,842 1,870 4 1,855; 1,852; 3 1,855; 1,852; 3 na 1,852; 1,Cartwright Bridge (ND Hwy 200) 6/8/2011 1,844 1,871 3 1,855; na; na na 1,854; 1,851.5; 

2.5

na 

Table 4. Summary of channel-bed elevations surveyed at selected bridges on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, North Dakota, during the 2011 flo[NAVD 88, North American Vertical Datum of 1988; us ft, U.S. survey feet; ND, North Dakota; Hwy, highway; na, not applicable; I-94, Interstate 94]
Figure 10. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey at West Bismarck Expressway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, July 

0 

0 

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Flow

100°49’40” 100°49’35” 100°49’30” 100°49’25” 100°49’20” 100°49’15” 100°49’10” 100°49’05” 100°49’ 100°48’55” 100°48’50

46°47’55”46°47’50”46°47’45”46°47’40”46°47’35”

810

810

Right middle pier Left middle pier

Left pier

Dunes

Right pier
Hydrographic Surveys on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers at Selected Bridges 21

Table 5. Daily mean gage height and daily mean discharge at selected streamgages during hydrographic surveys of the Missouri and 

Yellowstone Rivers, North Dakota, during the 2011 flood.

[Data from U.S. Geological Survey, 2012. USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; ft, feet; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; ND, North Dakota; MT, Montana; --, no data]

Site Survey date USGS streamgage

Daily mean

gage height, 

ft

Daily mean 

discharge, 

ft3/s

West Bismarck Expressway Bridge 6/6/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 17.18 122,000

Grant Marsh Bridge 6/6/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 17.18 122,000

Memorial Highway Bridge 6/7/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 17.05 121,000

Cartwright Bridge 6/8/2011 06329500 Yellowstone River near Sidney, MT1 14.28 53,800

Buford Bridge 6/8/2011 06185500 Missouri River near Culbertson, MT1 14.18 61,500

Williston Bridge 6/8/2011 06330000 Missouri River near Williston, ND2 27.68 --

Washburn Bridge 6/9/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND3 17.45 136,000

Sector 1 6/28/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.08 153,000

Sector 2 7/2/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.08 150,000

Sector 3 7/1/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.23 146,000

Sector 4 6/29/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.15 149,000

Sector 4 7/1/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.23 146,000

Sector 5 6/29/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.15 149,000

Sector 6 6/29/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.15 149,000

Sector 7 7/3/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.05 149,000

Sector 8 7/3/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.05 149,000

Sector 9/Memorial Highway/West 

Bismarck Expressway Bridges

7/3/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.05 149,000

Sector 10 7/2/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.08 150,000

Sector 11/Grant Marsh Bridge 7/5/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.06 145,000

Sector 12 7/5/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.06 145,000

Sector 13 7/6/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.10 144,000

Sector 14 7/6/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.10 144,000

Sector 15 7/6/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.10 144,000

Sector 15 7/7/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.13 143,000

Sector 16 7/7/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.13 143,000

Sector 17 7/7/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.13 143,000

Sector 18 7/8/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.08 141,000

Sector 19 7/8/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.08 141,000

Sector 20 7/8/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND 19.08 141,000

Washburn Bridge 7/9/2011 06342500 Missiouri River at Bismarck, ND3 19.15 143,000

1

Gage more than 20 miles upstream from site.

2

Stage-only streamgage. Nearest streamgage with discharge is Culbertson, Montana, but it is upstream from the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone 

Rivers.

3

Gage more than 35 miles downstream from site.
Figure 11. Difference in channel-bed elevations between the June 6 and July 3, 2011, hydrographic surveys of the Missouri River at West Bismarck Bismarck, North Dakota. (Positive elevation difference corresponds to erosion or scour; negative difference indicates deposition or fill.)

0 

0 

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Flow

100°49’40” 100°49’35” 100°49’30” 100°49’25” 100°49’20” 100°49’15” 100°49’10” 100°49’05” 100°49’ 100°48’55” 100°48’50

46°47’55”46°47’50”46°47’45”46°47’40”46°47’35”

810

810

Right middle pier Left middle pier

Left pier

Right pier
Figure 12. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey at Memorial Highway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, June 7, 2011

100°49’40” 100°49’35” 100°49’30” 100°49’25” 100°49’20” 100°49’15” 100°49’10” 100°49’05” 100°49’ 100°48'55” 

46°48’35”46°48’30”46°48’25”46°48’20”46°48’15”

Right middle pier

Left middle pier

Right pier

Left pier

Submerged island

Wing dike

Dunes

0 

0 

Ch

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Flow

810

810

194
Figure 13. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey at Memorial Highway Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, July 3, 2011.

100°49’40” 100°49’35” 100°49’30” 100°49’25” 100°49’20” 100°49’15” 100°49’10” 100°49’05” 100°49’ 100°48'55” 

46°48’35”46°48’30”46°48’25”46°48’20”46°48’15”

Right middle pier

Left middle pier

Right pier

Left pier

Submerged island

Wing dike

Dunes

0 

0 

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Ch

810

810

Flow

194
Figure 14. Difference in channel-bed elevations between June 7 and July 3, 2011, hydrographic surveys on the Missouri River at Memorial Highway Dakota. (Positive elevation difference corresponds to erosion or scour; negative difference indicates deposition or fill.)

100°49’40” 100°49’35” 100°49’30” 100°49’25” 100°49’20” 100°49’15” 100°49’10” 100°49’05” 100°49’ 100°48'55” 

46°48’35”46°48’30”46°48’25”46°48’20”46°48’15”

Right middle pier

Left middle pier

Right pier

Left pier

Submerged island

Wing dike

Di

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

810

810

0 

0 

Flow

194
26 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

Missouri River at Grant Marsh Bridge, 

Bismarck, North Dakota

The riverbed of the survey area centered on Interstate-94 

Bridge over the Missouri River, called the Grant Marsh 

Bridge, Bismarck, N. Dak., was surveyed twice during the 

2011 Missouri River flood: once on June 6, 2011, and again on 

July 5, 2011. The bed elevations ranged from 1,588 to 1,633 ft 

on June 6, 2011 (fig. 15 and table 4) and from 1,584 to 1,632 ft 

on July 5, 2011 [fig. 16 (map and elevation scales match those 

used for fig. 15, June survey) and table 4]. The daily mean 

discharge as recorded at the Missouri River at Bismarck, 

streamgage 06342500, on June 6, 2011, was 122,000 ft3/s and 

on July 5, 2011, was 145,000 ft3/s, a difference of 23,000 ft3/s. 

The minimum bed elevation for the June 6, 2011, survey was 

located in the main channel downstream from the left pier, 

but in the July 5, 2011, survey, it was in the main channel 

upstream from the bridge near the right bank. The map of 

the elevation differences between the two surveys shows this 

change (fig. 17) and indicates general deposition occurred 

from the left bank downstream from the bridge out into the 

main channel, whereas in the left half of the channel upstream 

from the bridge, scour was more localized, but quite intense 

(fig. 17). The general scour in the right half of the channel that 

occurred between surveys removed much of the sand dunes 

evident in the area of river downstream from the bridge. The 

dunes were approximately 3 ft high during the June 6, 2011, 

survey and 1.5 ft high during the July 5, 2011, survey (figs. 15 

and 16). 

The riverbed in the vicinity of two piers, described here 

as the left and the right piers, of the Grant Marsh bridge (I-94) 

was surveyed on June 6, 2011, and July 5, 2011. Other piers 

were within the wetted channel, but the area around them 

was too shallow for MBES surveying. Minimal scour depth 

(3 ft) was surveyed around the pier nearest the right bank on 

June 6, 2011, but during the July 5, 2011, survey the scour 

hole was 6 ft deep (table 4). The left pier did not have a scour 

hole because of the protective material surrounding it (figs. 15 

and 16). The highest elevation of the protective material was 

approximately 1,616 ft during both surveys, and the lowest 

elevation of the channel surrounding the protective material 

was approximately 1,595 ft on June 6, 2011, and 1,593 ft on 

July 5, 2011. These results show that the protective material is 

piled approximately 21 to 22 ft above the streambed (table 4). 

However, the survey results also revealed that a large amount 

of the protective material is now downstream from the bridge 

pier (figs. 15 and 16). 

Missouri River at Washburn Bridge near 

Washburn, North Dakota

The state highway bridge that crosses the Missouri River 

near Washburn, N. Dak., is called the Washburn Bridge (ND 

Hwy 200). The riverbed of the survey area centered on this 

bridge was surveyed twice during the 2011 flood: on June 9 

and July 9, 2011 (table 2). The bed elevations surveyed on 

June 9, 2011, ranged from 1,626 to 1,655 ft (fig. 18 and 

table 4) and on July 9, 2011, from 1,621 to 1,659 ft [fig. 19 

(map and elevation scales match those used for fig. 18, June 

survey) and table 4]. The daily mean discharge of the Missouri 

River at Bismarck (as recorded at streamgage 06342500, more 

than 35 mi downstream from the survey area) on June 9, 2011, 

was 136,000 ft3/s and on July 9, 2011, was 143,000 ft3/s, a difference of 7,000 ft3

/s between the two hydrographic surveys. 

The lowest bed elevations surveyed during the June survey 

were in the upstream section of the survey area in the main 

channel and around the middle pier (fig. 18). The lowest bed 

elevations surveyed in the July survey were around the middle 

pier (fig. 19). The map of elevation differences (fig. 20), shows 

an area of deposition upstream from the bridge on the left side 

of the channel. The map also shows that scour occurred all 

along the right bank. The location and type of dunes changed 

between the June and July surveys. The elevation difference 

map (fig. 20) highlights some of these areas just upstream 

from the bridge in the center of the channel and along the right 

bank downstream from the bridge. 

The riverbed in the vicinity of five piers of the Washburn 

Bridge (ND Hwy 200) was mapped during both surveys. The 

deepest scour hole for both surveys was around the middle 

pier, where scour-hole depth was 11 ft in June and 18 ft in 

July; however, the surrounding bed elevation was similar 

during the two surveys. The left-middle and left piers had 

very minimal scour around them during the June survey, but 

had scour holes approximately 5 ft deep in July (table 4). 

The right-middle pier had a 9-ft-deep scour hole during the 

June survey, which increased to a 13-ft-deep scour hole during the July survey; in addition, the surrounding bed elevation decreased 4 ft between the two surveys. During both 

surveys, the footings were detected around the middle pier 

(fig. 21C–F). The minimum bed elevation in the scour hole 

around the middle pier was approximately 1,627 ft in June, 

and only some parts of the footing were detected in the MBES 

data. In the July survey, the minimum bed elevation in the 

scour hole around the middle pier was approximately 1,621 ft, 

and much more of the footing structure was exposed. Hydrographic data collected around the middle pier during the July 

survey, as viewed from above (C and D) and from the side 

(E and F), are shown in figure 21 as a triangulated irregular 

network (TIN) modeled surface and as raw data points. 
Figure 15. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey at Grant Marsh Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, June 6, 2011. Left pier Right pier Dunes 

Ch

0 100 0 

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010 Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14 Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) 

Flow

100°50’05” 100°50’ 100°49’55” 100°49’50” 100°49’45” 100°49’40” 100

46°49’25”46°49’20”46°49’15”

94

94
Right pier

Left pier

Dunes

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

100°50’05” 100°50’ 100°49’55” 100°49’50” 100°49’45” 100°49’40” 100

46°49’25”46°49’20”46°49’15”

Flow

0 100 0 

Ch

94

94

Figure 16. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey at Grant Marsh Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota, July 5, 2011.
Right pier

Left pier 

0 100 0 

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

100°50’05” 100°50’ 100°49’55” 100°49’50” 100°49’45” 100°49’40” 100

46°49’25”46°49’20”46°49’15”

Flow

94

94

Figure 17. Difference in channel-bed elevations between June 6 and July 5, 2011, hydrographic surveys on the Missouri River at Grant Marsh Bridge(Positive elevation difference corresponds to erosion or scour; negative difference indicates deposition or fill.)
Figure 18. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey at Washburn Bridge, near Washburn, North Dakota, June 9, 2011.

:

Right middle pier

Left middle pier

Right pier

Left pier

Dunes Middle pier

0 

0 

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Washburn

101°03’05” 101°03’ 101°02’55” 101°02’50” 101°02’45” 101°02’40” 101°02’35” 101°02’30” 101°02’25” 101°02’20” 101°02’15” 

47°17’30”47°17’25”47°17’20”47°17’15”47°17’10”

200

200

Flow
Figure 19. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey at Washburn Bridge, near Washburn, North Dakota, July 9, 2011.

:

Right middle pier

Left middle pier

Right pier

Dunes Left pier

Middle pier

Washburn

0 

0 

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

101°03’5” 101°03’ 101°02’55” 101°02’50” 101°02’45” 101°02’40” 101°02’35” 101°02’30” 101°02’25” 101°02’20” 101°02’15” 

47°17’30”47°17’25”47°17’20”47°17’15”47°17’10”

200

200

Flow
Figure 20. Difference in channel-bed elevations between June 9 and July 9, 2011, hydrographic surveys on the Missouri River at Washburn Bridge nDakota. (Positive elevation difference corresponds to erosion or scour; negative difference indicates deposition or fill.)

0 

0 

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

101°03’05” 101°03’ 101°02’55” 101°02’50” 101°02’45” 101°02’40” 101°02’35” 101°02’30” 101°02’25” 101°02’20” 101°02’15” 

47°17’30”47°17’25”47°17’20”47°17’15”47°17’10”

200

200

Flow

Washburn :

Right middle pier

Left middle pier

Right pier

Left pier

Middle pier
Hydrographic Surveys on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers at Selected Bridges 33

Figure 21. Results of hydrographic survey on July 9, 2011, of middle pier of Washburn Bridge near Washburn, North Dakota, showing exposed 

footing: (A) Photograph showing Washburn Bridge near Washburn, North Dakota; (B) photograph showing middle pier; (C) triangulated irregular 

network- (TIN-) rendered surface (CARIS, 2013a) of the middle pier modeled from the survey data; (D) raw multibeam sonar point data of the 

middle pier, as viewed from above; and (E) TIN-rendered surface of left side of the middle pier. The top of the pier appears jagged due to the 

number of data points at the upper limits of esonification and the TIN method of interpolation. The ridges on the pier are most likely an artifact 

of the data due to small errors in the sonar mounting angle not corrected for in data processing and the accuracy of the data points from a 

vertical surface or are actually representative of the pier structure. (F) right side of middle pier shown using raw multibeam sonar point data.

(Photographs by Richard J. Huizinga, U.S. Geological Survey, June 9, 2011).

Flow

Flow

A B

Flow

Flow

Flow

C D

E F

Flow

Flow

Flow

Footing

Footing

EXPLANATION

Channel-bed and 

pier elevation, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

1,658

1,654

1,650

1,646

1,641

1,637

1,633

1,620

Footing

Footing
34 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

Missouri River at Williston Bridge near 

Williston, North Dakota

The Federal highway bridge that crosses the Missouri 

River near Williston, N. Dak., is known as the Williston 

Bridge (U.S. Hwy 85). The riverbed in the bridge survey area 

was surveyed once during the 2011 flood, on June 8, 2011 

(table 2). The surveyed bed elevations ranged from 1,814 

to 1,854 ft (fig. 22 and table 4). The stage-only streamgage 

of the Missouri River near Williston, N. Dak., (streamgage 

06330000) recorded the daily mean stage on June 8, 2011, as 

27.68 ft. The daily mean discharge of the Missouri River at 

Williston was approximated from the discharge recorded at the 

most downstream Yellowstone River streamgage near Sidney, Mont. (streamgage 06329500; fig. 4) plus the discharge 

recorded at the closest Missouri River streamgage upstream 

from Williston (upstream from Yellowstone River confluence near Culbertson, Mont., streamgage 06185500; fig. 4) on 

June 8, 2011; the sum is 115,300 ft3/s. The lowest bed elevation surveyed was near the right pier (fig. 22). A structure 

located between the right and the right-middle pier and just 

downstream from the piers can be seen in the survey results 

in figure 22. This structure was submerged during the survey, 

but had visible debris caught on it. A similar structure, also 

detected in the results, was just downstream from the middle 

pier. The survey showed a long, linear, and vertical feature 

extending from the structure located by the middle-right pier 

towards the right pier. The deepest scour hole observed during 

the survey was at the middle-left pier and was approximately 

19 ft deep with a minimum elevation in the scour hole of 

1,825 ft (table 4). The large dunes surveyed downstream from 

the bridge in the right or main channel were approximately 

9 ft in height [1,824 ft (blue/green) to 1,833 ft (yellow/green)], 

whereas the dunes between the left bank and the island 

downstream from the bridge were approximately 6 ft tall 

(1,840–1,846 ft). 

Missouri River at Buford Bridge near Buford, 

North Dakota

The State highway bridge that crosses the Missouri River 

near Buford, N. Dak., is known as the Buford Bridge (ND 

Hwy 58). The bridge area was surveyed once during the 2011 

flood, on June 8, 2011 (table 2). The bed elevations surveyed 

ranged from 1,842 to 1,870 ft (fig. 23 and table 4). The daily 

mean discharge recorded at the Missouri River near Culbertson, Mont., (streamgage 06185500) on June 8, 2011, was 

61,500 ft3/s. The Culbertson, Mont., streamgage is approximately 34 river miles upstream from the Buford Bridge. On 

June 8, 2011, the lowest bed elevation surveyed at the Buford 

Bridge survey area was located just upstream from the left 

pier (fig. 23). The riverbed in the vicinity of four piers was 

surveyed at the Buford Bridge in June. The deepest scour 

hole surveyed was at the left pier and was approximately 10 ft 

deep with a minimum elevation in the scour hole of 1,842 ft 

(table 4). The pier footing was exposed in the survey results 

around the pier nearest the left bank at this site. The large 

dunes indicated in the survey results throughout the reach 

were approximately 3 ft in height. 

Yellowstone River at Cartwright Bridge near 

Cartwright, North Dakota

The State highway bridge that crosses the Yellowstone 

River near Cartwright, N. Dak., is known as the Cartwright 

Bridge (ND Hwy 200). The riverbed in the bridge survey area 

was surveyed once during the 2011 flood, on June 8, 2011 

(table 2). The bed elevations ranged from 1,844 to 1,871 ft 

(fig. 24 and table 4). The daily mean discharge recorded 

at the Yellowstone River near Sidney, Mont., (streamgage 

06329500) on June 8, 2011, was 53,800 ft3/s. The Sidney 

streamgage is approximately 21 river miles upstream from the 

Cartwright Bridge. On June 8, 2011, the lowest bed elevation 

surveyed at the Cartwright Bridge survey area was located in 

the center of the channel upstream from the bridge (fig. 24). 

The riverbed in the vicinity of three piers was surveyed at the 

Cartwright Bridge. Scour around the piers was minimal with 

the deepest scour hole being 5 ft deep around the left pier 

(table 4). The largest sand dunes surveyed were upstream from 

the left pier and were approximately 2 ft high (fig. 24). An old 

bridge pier in the left part of the channel downstream from the 

existing bridge was revealed in survey results, and a gap in the 

data occurred around a second old bridge pier located in the 

right half of the channel. 
Figure 22. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey at Williston Bridge near Williston, North Dakota, June 8, 2011. Right middle pier Left middle pier Right pier Left pier Submerged structure

Dunes

Dunes

Middle pier

Submerged structure

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 13Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Flow

103°43’25” 103°43’20” 103°43’15” 103°43’10” 103°43’05” 103°43’ 103°42’55” 103°42’50” 103°42’45” 103°42’40” 

48°06’45”48°06’40”48°06’35”48°06’30”48°06’25”48°06’20”

Williston

0 

0 

85

Missouri River Williston, Nort(06330000)

Missouri River near Williston, North Dakota (06330000)
Figure 23. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey at Buford Bridge near Buford, North Dakota, June 8, 2011.

Right middle pier

Left middle pier

Right pier

Left pier

Dunes

Buford

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 13Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

C

Flow

104°01’20” 104°01’15” 104°01’10” 104°01’05” 104°01’ 104°00’55” 104°00’50” 104°00’45” 

47°59’10”47°59’05”

47°59’

47°58’55”47°58’50”

0 

0 

58
Figure 24. Channel-bed elevations from the Yellowstone River hydrographic survey at Cartwright Bridge near Cartwright, North Dakota, June 8, 2011

Right pier Left pier Middle pier

Old bridge pier Old bridge pier

103°58’20” 103°58’15” 103°58’10” 103°58’05” 103°58’ 103°57’55” 103°57’50” 103°57’45” 

47°51’50”47°51’45”47°51’40”47°51’35”

Cartwright

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 13Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

0 

0 

C

200

Flow

Dunes
38 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

Hydrographic Surveys of the Missouri 

River through Bismarck, North Dakota

The main channel of the Missouri River through Bismarck, N. Dak., was surveyed June 28 through July 8, 2011. 

The survey area extended from Sibley Bend near the University of Mary to Double Ditch Indian Village State historic 

site, a reach length of approximately 18 river miles, which 

was divided into 20 survey sectors (fig. 2). Benchmarks used 

for surveys of this section of the Missouri River include the 

NGS benchmark Sibley 2 and three newly established benchmarks designated as Bismarck Gage Water Cover, Burnt, and 

Double Ditch (table 3). During the Bismarck reach surveys, 

Missouri River daily mean flows ranged from 153,000 ft3/s to 

141,000 ft3/s at the streamgage at Bismarck (station 06342500; 

table 5). These surveys of the Bismarck reach of the Missouri 

River were conducted during the flood recession, but shortly 

after the peak, which occurred on June 25, 2011 (fig. 25). In 

addition, figure 25 shows that the initial bridge surveys as 

described in the first three subsections of the “Hydrographic 

Surveys on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers at Selected 

Bridges” section were conducted on the rising limb of the 

flood hydrograph. 

The hydrographic survey results for the Missouri River 

through Bismarck are shown by survey sector in figures 26 

through 42. The bed elevations ranged from 1,577 to 1,642 ft. 

Sand-dune bedforms can be seen throughout the survey 

area with the larger sand dunes approximately 10 ft high. 

In shallow sectors of the river, 100-percent coverage was 

not feasible because of time constraints and changing river 

stages; consequently, data gaps exist between data swaths as 

shown throughout the surveyed reach. In addition, navigation 

between sandbar complexes and small channels was challenging even with high flows; therefore, some of the channel 

braids contain data gaps, such as those shown in side channels 

extending from sector 3 into sector 4 (fig. 27) and sector 5 

into 6 (fig. 29). Many of the scour holes surveyed were caused 

by local acceleration of flow around bank structures, such as 

those found in sector 7 on the left bank (fig. 30), at the edge of 

sector 8 on the left bank downstream from the West Bismarck 

Expressway Bridge (fig. 31), in sector 9 on the right bank 

downstream from Memorial Highway Bridge (fig. 32), in 

sector 12 on the right bank (fig. 34), in sector 13 on the right 

bank (fig. 35), in sector 16 on the left bank (fig. 38), and in 

sector 17 around two bank structures on the left bank (fig. 39). 

In sector 8, scour was indicated around sheet piling being put 

into the river to protect homes on the left bank and also just 

upstream around other bank-protection structures (fig. 31). 

Results for sector 10 (fig. 33) show some scour around the 

piers of a railroad bridge. Figure 34 shows that the river narrows and bends where it approaches the Grant Marsh Bridge; 

consequently, the converging flowlines produce high velocities (experienced during the survey) and a deeper channel in 

this area. One of the deepest scour holes surveyed was located 

where the channel narrows and bends against a once-protected 

bank, in survey sector 19 (fig. 41). This scour hole’s minimum 

bed elevation of 1,577 ft was the lowest elevation surveyed in 

the Bismarck reach. Elevations in the channel upstream from 

the constriction and bend ranged from approximately 1,615 to 

1,630 ft due to dune formations, making the scour hole up to 

53 ft deep.

Figure 25. Daily mean 

discharge for the Missouri 

River at Bismarck, North 

Dakota, streamgage 

06342500, May 15 through 

August 15, 2011.

EXPLANATION

5/15/20115/20/20115/25/20115/30/2011

6/4/20116/9/2011

6/14/20116/19/20116/24/20116/29/2011

7/4/20117/9/2011

7/14/20117/19/20117/24/20117/29/2011

8/3/20118/8/2011

8/13/20118/15/2011

Recorded discharge of the Missouri River at Bismarck, 

N. Dak. (streamgage 06342500)

Date of hydrographic survey in the Bismarck reach

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

Daily mean discharge, in cubic feet per second

Date
Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Channel-bed elevation, in feet 

above NAVD 88

EXPLANATION

2 Survey sector and number

Flow

100°48’15” 100°48’ 100°47’45” 100°47’30” 100°47’15” 100°47’ 100°46’45” 100°46’30” 100°

46°44’15”

46°44’

46°43’45”46°43’30”

1

2

3

1,6421,6371,6321,6271,6221,6171,6121,6071,6021,5971,5921,5871,5821,577

0 0 

Dunes

Figure 26. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sectors 1 and 2 located south of Bismarck, North Dakota, June 28 
Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Channel-bed elevation, 

in feet above NAVD 88

1,6421,6371,6321,6271,6221,6171,6121,6071,6021,5971,5921,5871,5821,577

EXPLANATION

HighwaySurvey sector 

and number

Flow

3

4

5

4

100°50’15” 100°50’ 100°49’45” 100°49’30” 100°49’15” 100°49’ 100°48’45” 100°48’30” 

46°44’45”46°44’30”46°44’15”

46°44’

1806

1806

0 0 

Figure 27. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sectors 3 and 4 located south of Bismarck, North Dakota, June 29 
Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Flow

5

4

6

Channel-bed elevation, 

in feet above NAVD 88

1,6421,6371,6321,6271,6221,6171,6121,6071,6021,5971,5921,5871,5821,577

EXPLANATION

HighwaySurvey sector 

and number

5

100°51’15” 100°51’ 100°50’45” 100°50’30” 100°50’15” 100°50’ 100°49’45” 100°49’30” 100°4

46°45’30”46°45’15”

46°45’

46°44’45”

0 0 

1806

Dunes

Figure 28. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 5 located south of Bismarck, North Dakota, June 29, 2011.
Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

0 0 

Flow

7

65

100°51’30” 100°51’15” 100°51’ 100°50’45” 100°50’30” 100°50’15” 100°50’ 100°49’45” 100°49’30” 

46°46’15”

46°46’

46°45’45”46°45’30”

Figure 29. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 6 located south of Bismarck, North Dakota, June 29, 2011.
Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

0 0 

100°51’ 100°50’45” 100°50’30” 100°50’15” 100°50’ 100°49’45” 100°49’30” 100°49’15” 100°49’ 

46°46’45”46°46’30”46°46’15”

46°46’

6

7

8

Flow

Dunes

Bank structure

Figure 30. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 7 located at Bismarck, North Dakota, July 3, 2011.
100°50’30” 100°50’15” 100°50’ 100°49’45” 100°49’30” 100°49'15” 100°49’ 100°48’45” 100°48

46°47’45”46°47’30”46°47’15”

46°47’

46°46’45”

Dunes

Sheet piling

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Channel-bed elevation, 

in feet above NAVD 88

1,6421,6371,6321,6271,6221,6171,6121,6071,6021,5971,5921,5871,5821,577

EXPLANATION

HighwaySurvey sector 

and number

8

0 0 

Flow

8

7

9

810

Bank structure

Figure 31. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 8 located at Bismarck, North Dakota, July 3, 2011.
100°50’15” 100°50’ 100°49’45” 100°49’30” 100°49’15” 100°49’ 100°48’45” 100°48’30” 100°4

46°48’30”46°48’15”

46°48’

46°47’45”

Bank structure

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

0 0 

Flow

810

194

810

9

8

10

Figure 32. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 9 located at Bismarck, North Dakota, July 3, 2011.
100°50’30” 100°50’15” 100°50’ 100°49’45” 100°49’30” 100°49’15” 100°49’ 100°48’45” 100°4

46°49’15”

46°49’

46°48’45”46°48’30”

Railroad bridge pier

Railroad bridge pier

Dunes

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

0 0 

Flow

Missouri River at Bismarck, North Dakota (06342500)

Bismarck Gage Water Cover

10

9

11

94

194

194

810

94

810

Missouri River at BismarcNorth Dakota (06342500)

Figure 33. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 10 located at Bismarck, North Dakota, July 2, 2011.
100°52’ 100°51’45” 100°51’30” 100°51’15” 100°51’ 100°50’45” 100°50’30” 100°50’15” 100°50’ 

46°50’

46°49’45”46°49’30”46°49’15”

Bank structure

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Channel-bed elevation, 

in feet above NAVD 88

1,6421,6371,6321,6271,6221,6171,6121,6071,6021,5971,5921,5871,5821,577

EXPLANATION

Interstate or 

highway

Survey sector 

and number

12

0 0 

194

Flow

11

12

13

94

94

Figure 34. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sectors 11 and 12 located at Bismarck, North Dakota, July 5, 2011
100°53’ 100°52’45” 100°52’30” 100°52’15” 100°52’ 100°51’45” 100°51’30” 100°51’15” 100°51’ 

46°50’45”46°50’30”46°50’15”

46°50’

Bank structure

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

0 0 

94

Flow

12

13

14

94

1806

Figure 35. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 13 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 6, 2011.
100°53’15” 100°53’ 100°52’45” 100°52’30” 100°52’15” 100°52’ 100°51’45” 100°51’30” 100°51’15

46°51’30”46°51’15”

46°51’

46°50’45”

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

0 0 

Flow

14

15

13

Dunes

Figure 36. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 14 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 6, 2011.
100°53’45” 100°53’30” 100°53’15” 100°53’ 100°52’45” 100°52’30” 100°52’15” 100°52’ 100°51’45” 

46°52’15”

46°52’

46°51’45”46°51’30”

Burnt

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

0 0 

Flow

15

14

16

Figure 37. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 15 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 6–7, 2011
100°54’15” 100°54’ 100°53’45” 100°53’30” 100°53’15” 100°53’ 100°52’45” 100°52’30” 1

46°53’

46°52’45”46°52’30”46°52’15”

Bank structure

Dunes

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

0 0 

1806

Flow

16

15

17

Figure 38. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 16 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 7, 2011.
100°54’45” 100°54’30” 100°54’15” 100°54’ 100°53’45” 100°53’30” 100°53’15” 100°53’ 

46°53’45”46°53’30”46°53’15”

46°53’

Bank structure

Dunes

Bank structure

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

0 0 

1806

Flow

17

16

18

Figure 39. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 17 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 7, 2011.
100°55’30” 100°55’15” 100°55’ 100°54’45” 100°54’30” 100°54’15” 100°54’ 100°53’45” 100°53’30” 

46°54’30”46°54’15”

46°54’

46°53’45”

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

0 0 

1806

Flow

18

17

19

Figure 40. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 18 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 8, 2011.
100°55’15” 100°55’ 100°54’45” 100°54’30” 100°54’15” 100°54’ 100°53’45” 100°53’30” 100°53’15” 

46°55’15”

46°55’

46°54’45”46°54’30”

46°54'15"

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Channel-bed elevation, 

in feet above NAVD 88

1,6421,6371,6321,6271,6221,6171,6121,6071,6021,5971,5921,5871,5821,577

EXPLANATION

HighwaySurvey sector 

and number

19

0 0 

Flow

19

18

20

Dunes

Figure 41. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 19 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 8, 2011.
46°56’

46°55’45”46°55’30”46°55’15”

100°55’ 100°54’45” 100°54’30” 100°54’15” 100°54’ 100°53’45” 100°53’30” 100°53’15” 1

Double Ditch

Base from U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Aerial Imagery Program, 2010Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 14Horizontal coordinate information referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)Vertical coordinate information referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)

Channel-bed elevation, in feet 

above NAVD 88

1,6421,6371,6321,6271,6221,6171,6121,6071,6021,5971,5921,5871,5821,577

EXPLANATION

HighwaySurvey benchmarkSurvey sector and 

number

20

0 0 

1804

Flow

20

19

Dunes

Figure 42. Channel-bed elevations from the Missouri River hydrographic survey of sector 20 located north of Bismarck, North Dakota, July 8, 2011.
56 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

General Results of Hydrographic 

Surveys during the 2011 Flood on the 

Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in 

North Dakota

Emergency hydrographic surveys of the Missouri and 

Yellowstone Rivers were completed successfully with timeliness that aided the North Dakota Department of Transportation’s evaluation of the structural integrity of the bridges 

during the high-flow conditions. In addition, the sustained 

high flows allowed surveying of the normally shallow channel 

with a MBES. 

In general, results from sequential bridge surveys showed 

that as discharge increased between the first and second 

surveys at a given site, there was a general trend that showed 

channel scour. Locally, some complex responses consisting of scour in some areas and deposition in other areas of 

the channel were identified (figs. 11, 14, 17, and 20). Scour 

around bridge piers was complex in response to the increase in 

flow between the two surveys. Additional surveys prior to and 

following the flood could have provided even more information about the dynamics of the river channel and the manner 

in which the bed changed as a result of increased flows and 

in association with river structures. Results of the survey of 

the 18-mile reach through Bismarck, N. Dak., showed scour 

occurred either around river structures or where there were 

changes in the river-channel geometry, such as tight bends and 

channel narrowing. 

These high-resolution hydrographic datasets could be 

used for further analysis of streambeds by computer modeling 

and compared with future hydrographic surveys to evaluate 

change over time. The data also will serve as a lasting record 

of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers bed configurations 

during their historic 2011 flood. 

The data collected during the surveys described in 

this report are provided in two different formats with all 

coordinates referenced to the North American Datum of 

1983 (Continuously Operating Reference Stations 1996) 

[NAD83(CORS96)], using the Universal Transverse Mercator 

(UTM) projection. The first format is an ASCII text document, 

which is comma-delimited with a header row defining three 

columns—x, y, and z. The name of each text file identifies 

the bridge site or survey sector where the data were collected, 

as well as the UTM zone, coordinate units, and grid spacing 

used when reducing the dataset. The second data format is a 

CARIS Spatial ArchiveTM (CSARTM, .csar) grid file. This opensource file format can be opened with CARIS Easy ViewTM 4.0 

software [freely available for downloading (CARIS, 2013b)] 

or any other software that supports the file format. Detailed 

information describing each dataset is provided in a metadata 

file associated with the dataset by the same root file name. 

Summary

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation 

with the North Dakota Department of Transportation and the 

North Dakota State Water Commission, conducted hydrographic surveys centered on six Missouri River bridges, one 

Yellowstone River bridge, and the reach of the Missouri River 

that flows through Bismarck, N. Dak., during the flood of 

2011. The surveyed area at each bridge site extended 820 feet 

upstream from the bridge to 820 feet downstream from the 

bridge. Bridges surveyed are located near the cities of Cartwright, Buford, Williston, Washburn, and Bismarck, N. Dak. 

The surveyed reach through Bismarck consisted of 18 miles, 

from the University of Mary (Sibley Bend) to Double Ditch 

Indian Village State historic site, of the main channel wherever depth was sufficient. These hydrographic surveys were 

conducted using a high-resolution multibeam sonar mapping 

system, RESON SeaBatTM 7125. All surveys were completed 

during June 6–9 and June 28–July 9, 2011. Emergency surveys 

of the Missouri River and Yellowstone Rivers were conducted 

successfully and in a timely manner to aid the North Dakota 

Department of Transportation in evaluating the safety of the 

bridges under high-flow conditions. In addition, the sustained 

high flows made surveying a large section of the normally 

shallow channel with a multibeam echosounder feasible. 

In general, results from sequential bridge surveys show 

that as discharge increased between the first and second 

surveys at a given site, there was a general trend of channel 

scour. Locally, scour occurred in some areas of the channel 

and deposition in other areas of the channel. Similarly, scour 

around bridge piers was complex in response to the increase 

in flow between the two surveys. Scour holes surveyed at 

bridge piers ranged up to 19 ft. Results for the survey area 

extending through Bismarck showed that, in general, scour 

occurred around river structures or where there were changes 

in the river channel geometry, such as tight bends and channel narrowing. An extreme example of this was documented 

in survey sector 19 upstream from Bismarck where the river 

narrowed into a bend and the scour hole on the outside of the 

bend was up to 53 ft in depth. 

The data collected during the surveys are provided in two 

different file formats: comma-delimited text files and CARIS 

Spatial ArchiveTM (CSARTM, .csar) files. The datasets will 

serve as a lasting record of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers bed configurations during the historic 2011 flood. 
References Cited 57

References Cited

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rev. D: Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, Applanix Corp., 

PUBS-MAN-000513, 369 p.

Berkas, W.R., 1995, Transport and sources of sediment in the 

Missouri River between Garrison Dam and the headwaters of Lake Oahe, North Dakota, May 1988 through April 

1991: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 95–4087, 26 p. (Also available online at http://

nd.water.usgs.gov/pubs/wri/wri954087/index.html.)

CARIS, 2013a, CARIS BASE EditorTM reference guide: Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, CARIS, 894 p.

CARIS, 2013b, CARIS Easy ViewTM: Fredericton, New 

Brunswick, Canada, CARIS, accessed March 8, 2013, at 

http://www.caris.com/products/easy-view/.

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http://www.caris.com/products/hips-sips/.

CARIS, 2012b, CARIS BASE editorTM: Fredericton, New 

Brunswick, Canada, CARIS, accessed May 11, 2012, at 

http://www.caris.com/products/bathydatabase/base-editor/.

CARIS, 2011, Caris HIPS and SIPSTM 7.1 professional users 

guide: Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, CARIS, 

474 p. 

Esri, 2012a, World terrain base: Redlands, Calif., Esri, 

accessed October 2012, at http://www.arcgis.com/home/

item.html?id=c61ad8ab017d49e1a82f580ee1298931.

Esri, 2012b, ArcGIS 10.0: Redlands, Calif., Esri, accessed 

June 2012, at http://www.esri.com/.

Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2011, Emergency 

declaration expanded to address Missouri River flooding: 

Federal Emergency Management Agency, News Release 

3318-005, May 28, 2011, accessed February 13, 2012, at 

http://www.fema.gov/news-release/emergency-declarationexpanded-address-missouri-river-flooding. 

Federal Highway Administration, 2011, Scour monitoring and 

instrumentation, chap. 9 of Bridge scour and stream instability countermeasures: Experience, selection, and design 

guidance (3d ed.): Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, accessed 

May 20, 2001, at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/

hydraulics/pubs/09111/page09.cfm.

Huizinga, R.J., 2010, Bathymetric surveys at highway bridges 

crossing the Missouri River in Kansas City, Missouri, using 

a multibeam echo sounder, 2010: U.S. Geological Survey 

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5207, 61 p.

Huizinga, R.J., 2011, Bathymetric surveys at highway bridges 

crossing the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers near St. Louis, 

Missouri, 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2011–5170, 75 p. (Also available online at 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5170/.)

Huizinga, R.J., Elliott, C.M., and Jacobson, R.B., 2010, Bathymetric and velocimetric survey and assessment of habitat 

for pallid sturgeon on the Mississippi River in the vicinity 

of the proposed Interstate 70 Bridge at St. Louis, Missouri: 

U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 

2010–5017, 28 p. (Also available online at http://pubs.usgs.

gov/sir/2010/5017/.)

HYPACK, Inc., 2007a, HYPACK® user’s manual 1/07: 

Middletown, Conn., HYPACK, 991 p.

HYPACK, Inc., 2007b, HYSWEEP® user’s manual 6/07: 

Middletown, Conn., HYPACK, 148 p.

Landers, M.N., and Mueller, D.S., 1996, Channel scour at 

bridges in the United States: Federal Highway Administration Report FHWA-RD-95-184, 140 p.

Leopold, L.B., Wolman, M.G., and Miller, J.P., 1964, Fluvial 

processes in geomorphology: New York, Dover Publications, 227 p.

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User Service: Silver Spring, Md., National Geodetic Survey, 

accessed May 11, 2012, at http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/OPUS/.

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Reference Station (CORS): Silver Spring, Md., National 

Geodetic Survey, accessed May 11, 2012, at http://www.ngs.

noaa.gov/CORS/.

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permanent identifier AE1790: Silver Spring, Md., National 

Geodetic Survey data sheet, accessed July 3, 2012, at http://

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RESON, Inc, 2001, Sonar theory: Goleta, Calif. RESON, 40 p.
58 Hydrographic Surveys at Selected Bridges and through Bismarck, North Dakota, during the 2011 Flood

RESON, Inc., 2006, SeaBatTM 7125 high-resolution multibeam 

echosounder system, Version B066 080218/A4: Goleta, 

Calif., RESON, 2 p.

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Goleta, Calif., RESON, 100 p.

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mainstem reservoir system, 2011 flood regulation, 

1 October 2011: Washington, D.C., U.S. Army Corp 

of Engineers slide set, accessed February 13, 2012, at 

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Program, 2010, USDA-FS-APFO Digital Ortho Mosaics: 

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2012, at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/.
Glossary 59

Glossary

display depth range Setting for the RESON 

SeaBatTM 7125 that sets the maximum distance that the sonar will display. Depth range 

partially controls ping rate by estimating time 

of return for one sonar ping before a second 

sonar ping can be transmitted. The RESON 

SeaBatTM 7125 has a range setting from 16.4 

to 984.25 feet.

fixed Global Positioning System/Global 

Navigation Satellite System (GPS/GNSS) 

solution Position determined by the GNSS 

rover with information from five or more 

GNSS satellites and base-station correction 

information with all carrier-phase ambiguities 

solved and the estimated position error below 

a set tolerance. 

latency The time lapse between two different datasets. In multibeam hydrographic 

surveying, this is typically the time difference 

between sounding data and positioning data. 

maximum ping rate Setting for the RESON 

SeaBatTM 7125 that limits the number of 

pings per second (p/s), making it lower than 

the standard ping rate for that range setting. 

The RESON SeaBatTM 7125 has a range from 

OFF to 50 p/s. Maximum ping rate might be 

increased for additional data collection over 

areas of interest or decreased to limit redundant data. 

outside beams The beams that are formed 

from a sonar ping on the outer edge of the 

swath. The sounding from these beams are 

often edited out of multibeam data because of 

the tendency of these data to be inconsistent 

with other data as a result of the increased 

incident angle and higher energy loss from 

absorption and spreading over the greater 

distance. 

piezo-electric ceramics Ceramic material 

with piezoelectric (electric resulting from 

pressure) characteristics as well as reverse 

piezoelectric effects (internal generation 

of a mechanical strain resulting from an 

applied electric field). Reverse piezoelectric 

effects are utilized to produce sound waves 

by applying a voltage to the ceramic which 

responds with oscillation. The frequency of 

this oscillation depends on the frequency of 

the input signal and the characteristics and 

design of the ceramic material. This oscillation causes a series of compressions and rarefactions in the surrounding water—a sound 

pressure wave (RESON, 2001). 

pitch Rotation of the boat about the acrosstrack dimension.

pulse length Setting for the RESON SeaBatTM 7125 that controls the length of time 

the sonar signal is transmitted. Pulse length 

on the RESON SeaBatTM 7125 can range 

from 10 to 300 microseconds (μs). A narrow 

pulse length provides high resolution in shallow depths, but a wider pulse length provides 

maximum range with low-resolution images. 

receiver gain Setting for the RESON SeaBatTM 7125 that controls the increase in the 

amplitude applied to the returned sonar signal 

in addition to the calculated time varied gain 

(TVG). The gain settings for the RESON SeaBatTM 7125 range from 0.0 to 83.0 decibels 

(dB). 

roll Rotation of the boat about the alongtrack dimension.

survey matrix An empty grid which encompasses the multibeam survey area created in 

HYPACK®/HYSWEEP® that is utilized during data collection to display real-time survey 

results. 

swath A contiguous area of the lake, river, 

or ocean bottom that is surveyed as the boat 

makes one pass and is made up of numerous 

sonar pings. This area extends perpendicular from the boat dependent on multibeam 

settings and the water depth; for the RESON 

SeaBatTM 7125 this width is 128 degrees or 

approximately 4 times water depth. 

transmit power Setting for the RESON 

SeaBatTM 7125 that increases or decreases the 

amount of acoustic energy transmitted into 

the water. The RESON SeaBatTM 7125 has a 

range from OFF to 220 dB.

yaw Rotation of the boat about the vertical 

dimension.
Publishing support provided by: 

Rolla and West Trenton Publishing Service Centers

For more information concerning this publication, contact: 

Director, USGS Nebraska Water Science Center 

5231 South 19th Street 

Lincoln, NE 68512 

(402) 328–4100

Or visit the Nebraska Water Science Center Web site at: 

http://ne.water.usgs.gov

Densmore and others—Hydrographic Surveys of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in North Dakota during the 2011 Floods—SIR 2013–5087