Mississippi Valley Division

A Review of the Lower Mississippi River 

Potamology Program

Mississippi River Geomorphology and Potamology Report No. 1

The Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) Project is the comprehensive water 

resources project for flood damage reduction and navigation improvement on the 

Mississippi River. MR&T elements include levees, floodways, diversion structures, 

tributary basin improvements, as well as channel improvements such as meander cutoffs, 

bank stabilization, dikes, and dredging. Understanding how these elements, combined 

with natural factors such as floods and droughts, impact the historical, current, and future 

river morphology is a complex challenge for managing the Mississippi River for floods, 

navigation, environmental restoration, and coastal wetland loss.

Potamology History and Knowledge

Potamology comes from the Greek word potamas and is simply defined as the science of 

rivers. Some of the earliest Mississippi River studies were conducted in the early 1800s 

by the forerunners of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). 

Floods are major catalysts for Mississippi River programs. The devastating 1927 

Mississippi River flood contributed to the creation of the 1928 MR&T Project that 

helped foster meander cutoff operations in the 1930s, which were the impetus for the 

first official USACE Potamology Investigations initiated in 1946. This program 

produced more than 70 reports that advanced the understanding of the complex 

relationship between nature and man-made changes that shape the river and how the 

river adjusts over time.

The 1973 flood was another benchmark as it produced river stages that were up to 5 feet 

higher than anticipated in some locations. These higher stages made it apparent that the 

stage-discharge relationships were several feet higher than those used to establish levee 

grades and other flood damage reduction projects, which showed a potential for 

significant reduction in flood capacity. USACE potamology studies (T-1 reports) 

addressed river behavior during the 1973 flood. 

Follow-on potamology studies (P-1 reports) were issued 1981–1992, examining four 

major parameters: hydrology, sedimentation, channel geometry, and man-made 

modifications. This knowledge helped USACE develop more efficient and costeffective flood damage reduction and navigation projects at the time.

The vast amounts of historical river data and unpublished studies conducted by various 

USACE organizations are of great value. These data, from the 1800s to modern times, 

include detailed hydrographic surveys, sediment sampling, velocity and current 

measurements, boring data, flow data, bed form data, geologic information, water 

surface slopes, and geomorphic assessments, covering a wide variety of river locations 

and dates. Such information is a valuable resource that gives a historical perspective of 

the river and contributes to understanding the river system. Unfortunately, some of this 

information has already been lost, and much of the data is not cataloged and only exists 

in hard copy in obscure locations in various USACE offices.
For More Information

To access the full version of A Review of the Lower Mississippi 

River Potamology Program report, click the following link:

http://acwc.sdp.sirsi.net/client/search/asset/1035268

Additional MRG&P reports, historic reports, and MRG&P 

information can be accessed from the technology transfer 

section link at the MVD Historic Studies website: 

http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/Missions/MississippiRiverScie

nceTechnology/MSRiverGeomorphologyPotamology/FieldData

/HistoricStudies.aspx.

The epic 2011 Mississippi River flood fostered a new interest in river knowledge to more thoroughly understand how 

the USACE projects successfully passed this flood’s record flows. This renewed interest led the USACE Mississippi 

Valley Division (MVD) to initiate the Mississippi River Geomorphology and Potamology (MRG&P) Program. This 

program will advance current knowledge and understanding of the complex processes that impact the Mississippi River 

(the river is still responding to the meander cutoffs made more than 75 years ago). 

Future

The lessons learned and recommendations implemented from the USACE potamology studies of the 1940s–1980s 

worked to help pass the record high flows of the 2011 flood. Traditional Mississippi River projects are today 

augmented by focused environmental efforts: restoration, conservation, recreation, coastal land loss, water quality and 

supply (surface and aquifer), as well as other basin-wide and localized issues. Mississippi River projects face 

environmental components and challenges of balancing habitat development, fisheries enhancement, recreation, 

threatened and endangered species, invasive species, water quality, etc., that will be championed by a wide variety of 

new and traditional river stakeholders.

The report provides a short historical review of USACE Mississippi River potamology studies, includes an initial 

bibliography of USACE potamology reports, and makes recommendations of potential actions to expand USACE 

technical expertise in potamology and manage a potamology program that would have short- and long-term national 

implications. 

Summary of Significant Findings

• Potamology influences all Mississippi 

River projects and programs—

historical, current, and future.

• Flood-risk reduction projects, based on 

potamology input, have saved billions 

of dollars in potential damages.

• Mississippi River environmental and 

ecosystem restoration projects rely 

heavily on potamology data.

• USACE has conducted potamology 

studies since the early 1800s; a vast 

amount of data in many locations need 

to be utilized.

• Reinvestment in a USACE potamology 

program will grow expertise and 

knowledge that will have national 

implications.

Points of Contact

David Biedenharn, Ph.D.

Author, Biedenharn Group

biedenharngroup@yahoo.com Freddie Pinkard

MRG&P, Sr. Program Manager,

Barb Kleiss, Ph.D. USACE MVK

MRG&P Technical Director, Freddie.Pinkard@usace.army.mil

USACE MVD

Barbara.A.Kleiss@usace.army.mil