Proximal and ultimate influences on planform change in Bayou Pierre, Mississippi

Channel incision and associated planform changes are widespread in the Gulf Coastal Plain of the United States, following a century of sediment reduction activities. These processes cause numerous threats to infrastructure, social, and ecological systems. While the drivers of channel incision are well documented for some watersheds in the region, others remain understudied. Bayou Pierre, Mississippi, is a small watershed draining directly to the lower Mississippi River with a contentious debate regarding origins of erosional processes. The watershed is home to one listed species (Bayou Darter Nothonotus rubrus) as well as a diverse aquatic biota assemblage. Determining potential drivers of erosional activities in the watershed will be critical for effective mitigation or restoration activities. This dataset compiles information from numerous other datasets to construct histories of Mississippi River architectural change, land use change, and climate patterns to construct a history of po..., Historical and contemporary watershed influence data were collected via extraction from existing datasets. Mississippi River historic planform dynamics were derived from digitized plates from Fisk (1944) and aerial imagery from 2010. Land use data were extracted from digitized US Census records at the county level (1840 - 2012), the FORE-SCE backcast, observed, and scenario B1 forecast data (1938 - 2023), and National Land Cover Database data (2001 - 2019). Secondary analysis of land use data occurred to generate estimates of land use proportions in the watershed. Percent upstream forest was calculated at catchment and 200m buffer scales, for three focal reaches in the watershed, using FOR-SCE datasets. Total percent coverage of all land use categories for the entire watershed was also calculated using FORE-SCE datasets and NLCD datasets. Hydrologic data were extracted from the Climate Data Online database for counties drained by Bayou Pierre (1901 - 2022), the USGS gage at Willows, MS ..., , # Proximal and Ultimate Influences on Planform Change in Bayou Pierre, Mississippi

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.dz08kps4v](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.dz08kps4v)

## Description

A dataset combining original river planform measurements with literature-derived and database-derived measurements to assess patterns of planform change on Bayou Pierre, Mississippi, and potential recent and older influences on erosional behavior in the watershed.

### Principle Investigator Contact Information

Name: Loren Stearman

Institution: University of Southern Mississippi

Email: [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

### Alternate Contact Information

Name: Franklin Heitmuller

Institution: University of Southern Mississippi

Email: [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

### Data Sources and Temporal Scopes

#### Land Use / LandCover Data

A. Digitized US Census Records: 1840 - 2012, decadal

B. FORE-SCE backcast land cover models: 1938 - 1992

C. FOR...