Temporal and lateral distributions of resuspended sediment following barge tow passage on the Illinois River

The Illinois River is an important segment of the Upper
Mississippi River System which has been designated a nationally
significant ecosystem and also a nationally significant
commercial navigation system.  The character of a riverine
ecosystem is affected directly by the amount and distribution of
sediment scoured, transported, and deposited by the river.  An
average commercial barge tow (nine barges in a three wide by
three long convoy) has a width of 31.8 m, a length of 179.5 m,
and a draft between 0.6 and 2.74 m.  A barge tow is pushed by a
towboat which typically has two propellers and an average
installed horsepower of 3000 (2240 kw).  The Illinois River near
mile 50 (81 km upstream of its confluence with the Mississippi
River) averages about 250 m width and about 4 m deep. The
discharge in this reach of the Illinois River ranges from 120 to
2500 m3/sec, with an average of 625 m3/sec.  Suspended sediment
concentration samples were collected for ten barge tow events
using pumped samplers during one week of May 1989.  The suspended
sediment sampling scheme is presented and typical data are then
presented. Typical time histories of suspended sediment
concentrations are presented for an isolated tow passage event. 
Summary data for all events and barge tow characteristics are
also presented.