Apalachicola River Geomorphic Assessment

Client: Apalachicola Riverkeeper / Florida Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Location: Apalachicola River, Florida
Date: 2014 to present

walls land+water, along with a team of scientists was contracted by Apalachicola Riverkeeper to conduct a geomorphic assessment of a reach of the Apalachicola River in northwestern Florida. The Apalachicola River and estuary system is of exceptional ecological importance, and constitutes one of the least polluted, least developed, resource-rich systems left in the United States. The Apalachicola River is home to three species of federally-listed mussels. Additionally, the river and floodplain system provides habitat to some of the highest densities of reptile and amphibian species on the continent; and, harbors the most diverse assemblage of freshwater fish in Florida, the largest number of species of freshwater snails and mussels, and the most endemic species in western Florida. 

In an effort to create a navigable channel on the Apalachicola, the US Army Corps built Jim Woodruff Dam, and modified the river downstream with dike fields, removal of snags, dredging, and cut off meander bends.  The consequences of these activities include channel incision, which has resulted in reduction of access to cold-water refuges, the loss of connections to important backwater habitats, the loss of riverine habitat, changes in the movement of sediment through the river and floodplain, and changes to the floodplain forest composition in response to drying out of the floodplain.

The project team is analyzing historical changes in channel geomorphology, especially with an eye to understanding the geomorphic processes leading to the extensive development of “hooks and bays”, how development of hooks and bays affects endangered mussel habitats, and how mussel habitats could be restored or augmented/created elsewhere.  This requires a sound understanding of the geomorphic processes and recent changes, as well as geomorphic and hydraulic aspects of mussel habitat requirements.

Our publication in Geomorphology (March 2017) can be found at the link below.

Anthropogenic landforms and sediments from dredging and disposing sand along the Apalachicola River and its floodplain