1. Illinois/Indiana, USA
  2. A New Cutoff
Description

Floods are examples of short-term environmental change. They cause substantial damage and change for only a short time, such as a couple of weeks. The damage done to crops can last for an entire growing season, but in most cases, the landscape goes back to normal after the floodwaters recede. In some cases, however, a flood can cause more lasting change.

This flood changed the course of the Wabash River just above where it flows into the Ohio River. We have to go to a different Landsat image to see this happen, the one just south of the scene we’ve been examining. Images show a new cutoff that was formed from this flooding. About 2,200 acres of the land was rendered inaccessible by the new cutoff and shortened the river by about 7.5 miles.

View Related Imagery & Stories

Location

June 9, 2007, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — Before the June 2008 flood

June 9, 2007, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — Before the June 2008 flood

June 11, 2008, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — During the June 2008 flood

June 11, 2008, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — During the June 2008 flood

July 13, 2008, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

July 13, 2008, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

June 30, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

June 30, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 4, 2010, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 4, 2010, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

June 4, 2011, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

June 4, 2011, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

June 14, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

June 14, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 28, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 28, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 15, 2014, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 15, 2014, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Oct. 13, 2015, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Oct. 13, 2015, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Sep. 5, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Sep. 5, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Sep. 8, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Sep. 8, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 2, 2018, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 2, 2018, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 29, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 29, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 23, 2020, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 23, 2020, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 2, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Aug. 2, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

June 9, 2007, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — Before the June 2008 flood
June 11, 2008, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — During the June 2008 flood
July 13, 2008, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
June 30, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
Aug. 4, 2010, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
June 4, 2011, Landsat 5 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
June 14, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
Aug. 28, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
Aug. 15, 2014, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
Oct. 13, 2015, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
Sep. 5, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
Sep. 8, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
Aug. 2, 2018, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
Aug. 29, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
Aug. 23, 2020, Landsat 7 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA
Aug. 2, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 22/34) — New cutoff on the Wabash River, USA

Illinois/Indiana, USA Additional Imagery & Stories

Eel River
Eel River

Just west of Clay City, there is a large, nearly square-shaped area of floodwater in the 2008 flood image. It covers about 2,200 acres. The fact that ...

Lawrenceville and Vincennes
Lawrenceville and Vincennes

In this area at near Lawrenceville, Illinois, and Vincennes, Indiana, some fields are green, some are maroon, and others are pink. Why are these field...

More about This Flood
More about This Flood

The flooding that happened in summer 2008 in Indiana and Illinois started late in 2007 with above normal snowfall. This extra snow saturated the groun...

New Cutoff Close Up
New Cutoff Close Up

Cutoffs are common on meandering rivers like the Wabash, but it’s rare to be able to witness a cutoff forming as it happens. Scientists are using this...