Hydraulic Technician Glenn Gray (R) and Research Hydraulic Engineer Daniel Wren (L) prepare an instrument tower on the severely damaged levee of an irrigation reservoir in Arkansas. 

Research Hydraulic Engineer Eddy Langendoen examines the condition of a laboratory flume set up for studying the transport of sand through cobbles.

Studies in the USDA-ARS Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed (GCEW) in north-central Mississippi, known for its mixed land use, active upland erosion, and steep degrading channels with unstable banks, have shown that nearly 80% of fine sediment transported in the watershed originated from channel sources. In-stream structures have reduced sediment yield by 10% to 70%. 

Researchers at the USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory are collecting topographic data on soil erosion processes, plant stress, and algal blooms. Utilizing full-frame high-resolution cameras, multispectral cameras, multi-point colorized LiDAR, and unique ground control targets the survey collections are revolutionizing project descriptions and process investigations.

Researchers at the National Sedimentation Laboratory partnered with local stakeholders and collaborators to conduct the Groundwater Transfer and Injection Pilot (GTIP) project to test the feasibility of a managed aquifer recharge system in the intensively cultivated Delta region of Mississippi.