FLOODPLAIN AND VALLEY CHARACTERIZATION USING LIDAR DERIVED DEMS, FORT BENNING GA

Detailed longitudinal profiles and valley cross-sections were developed using a high-resolution DEM derived from LiDAR data for multiple watersheds on Fort Benning Military Reservation, GA using ArcGIS. Valley cross-sections demonstrate increasing incision of Upatoi Creek, the major watershed draining Fort Benning, from the Fall Line transition downstream towards its confluence with the Chattahoochee River. Similar patterns were also observed with tributaries of Upatoi Creek. Results also reveal multiple Quaternary terrace sequences, with the most recent Holocene terrace (T1) recently abandoned due to late historic incision, with incision progressing upstream. Coupled with ongoing delineation of floodplain features, this research provides context for assessing the depth and volume of legacy sediment, identifying areas of potentially buried archaeological sites, and the future monitoring of watershed erosion and deposition patterns due to military activities.