Turbidity Barrier Remediation Project: Remediation of Historic Blue Hole in Mississippi County, MO

Online, November 1, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The flooding in 2011 of the Mississippi River and surrounding areas has caused problems that are still being fixed today. Recently, an emergency remediation project was put into effect to relieve scour paths and flooding in Mississippi County. The area included a Historic Blue Hole that required immediate protection and restoration. Turbidity Curtains supplied from Granite Environmental Inc. were installed around the hole to control sediment and protect the integrity of the site.

During the historic flooding of summer 2011, many areas experienced extreme flooding and damage. In Missouri, the high water caused by these events created many problems including flooding of downstream cities, unexpected erosion and scouring. The US Army Corps of Engineers was sent in to physically relieve floodwater impact in three different locations around the Mississippi County area.

One location was at the Historic Blue Hole in Mississippi County, Missouri. Here water had been channeled to create unexpected scouring and erosion in and around the Blue Hole and subsequent depositing on surrounding farms. These farm lands had been covered in sediment placed there from the river during floods. In addition, a 45 foot scour path had formed below grade from the flood waters.

In order to alleviate and restore this area, an emergency response plan was put into effect to restore the area to its pre-flood conditions. The remediation plan included restoring the Historic Blue Hole, filling the scour path, removing the sediment from surrounding farm lands and restoring the levee.

Since this process involved protecting an historic fishing hole, it was essential that sediment moved during this remediation did not flow into the Blue Hole and cause damage to the area.

For this reason, Turbidity Curtains supplied by Granite Environmental, Inc. were deployed to protect the Blue Hole. Turbidity Curtains (also known as turbidity barriers) are a floating device designed to control and contain sediment to a certain area. They are often used during dredging and construction projects to keep surrounding rivers, lakes, and streams silt free.

These turbidity barriers were shipped and deployed in record time so the project could continue without a hitch. This innovative turbidity control response not only blocked sediment from entering the hole, but also worked to protect the hole, wildlife, and surrounding vegetation. When compared to alternative sediment control methods, the turbidity barrier successfully protected the historic hole and saved approximately 1 million dollars of tax payer money.

Memphis District USACE states, "We recently used a Granite Environmental floating turbidity curtain to protect an historic fishing hole damaged by the 2011 Mississippi River flood. The curtain was installed in less than two days. The curtain protected the aquatic resources from foam, silt, and turbidity during major repairs to the adjacent levee. The product performed in an acceptable manner and the project was successfully completed."

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