Modeling Natural Flood Cycles in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
Stacey Shankle, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Ridgeland, MS and Jerry Holden, Ducks Unlimited, Inc, Ridgeland, MS.
Partners: Ducks Unlimited, Inc., the United States Forest Service and the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Joint Venture
The Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) is the most important wintering habitat for mallards on the continent, in some years wintering upwards of 40% of the continental population. However, nearly 80 percent of its bottomland hardwood forest and associated wetlands had been lost by the close of last century.
The ecological operations of floodplain / bottomland hardwood ecosystems are governed by cycles of intermittent flooding during both winter and growing seasons. However, landscape-level modifications, namely hydrologic engineering and widespread deforestation, have resulted in deleterious impacts to some of the most important ecological functions that occur in the MAV. Floodplain forests play important roles in maintaining water quality, provide important winter waterfowl habitat, provide spawning grounds for floodplain dependent fish species, and help store floodwaters to mitigate catastrophic flooding.
Currently, Ducks Unlimited.s GIS specialists are completing a Flood Probability Dataset, which will help us understand the subtleties of how often and to what extent natural flooding occurs throughout the MAV. Understanding natural hydrology is of crucial importance to DU.s conservation planning staff because of the roles flooding plays in providing waterfowl habitat, ensuring the longevity of wetland restoration projects, and improving water quality.
