Graduation Term

2020

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Committee Chair

Lisa Tranel

Abstract

This study addresses land-use changes in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, and their effects on the Menominee River. The Menominee River flows north to south through Jo Daviess County, and southern Grant County, Wisconsin. Many of the surrounding properties are agricultural and have undergone developmental and land-use changes that may affect the flood flashiness of the Menominee River. The concern with increasing flood flashiness of the Menominee River include more frequent flooding events, undercutting of riverbanks, and increased amounts of sediment transport from upstream locations into the Mississippi River. Increases in impermeable surfaces have led to greater amounts of runoff during precipitation events causing more sediment to wash into the river. In addition, more intense or longer duration precipitation events will create greater amounts of runoff moving over the landscape and into the Menominee River. Along with the sediment being transported by runoff, the risk for chemical contaminants such as agricultural chemicals, road salt, and automotive fluids increases. Chemicals in runoff water can be transported downstream and pollute drinking water, while sediment loss reduces the amount of cropland within the watershed. Large scale precipitation events also cause more water to flow into the Menominee River rather than infiltrate into the ground, resulting in an increased risk of flood events. Flooding events pose risks to cropland and subdivisions that reside near the Menominee River, which are subject to property or crop damage. This thesis works to accomplish three goals. The first is to determine what size clasts are capable of moving downstream with flow, following events resulting in an increase of stream discharge. The second goal of the research is to evaluate the accuracy of discharges that move clast downstream by comparing discharges to a stream that is monitored with a gauge station. This is not a comparison of how sediment and clasts move, rather a comparison of the reaction to recharge events and how discharge changes before and after the event. The final goal of the project is to address how varying weather patterns affect the discharge of the Menominee River and can increase the flashiness resulting in clast movement.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2020.20210309065832405225.90

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