The Clarks River is located in western Kentucky near the city of Benton. It travels through and weathers lacustrine or lake deposits as well as fluvial or river deposits. These deposits are also overlain by loess deposited from the last glacial maximum. Historically, people have taken advantage of these rich deposits for agriculture which has led to increased settlement. With increased settlement, the river has experienced alteration. The west fork of the Clarks River has been channelized while the east fork of the Clarks River has managed to remain un-channelized and has since been allowed to run relatively freely.
Detailed landform and geomorphic maps for Western Kentucky are scares or lack the level of detailed needed for this study. This project attempted to develop a landform map for a 5 km by 5 km section of the east fork of the Clarks River, focusing on an area being monitored by Murray State University. Elevation data were obtained from five foot LiDAR digital elevation models (DEMs), and analyzed using 3D Analyst and Spatial Analyst tools in ArcMap. Transect lines were used in ArcMap to determine the location of different landforms in relation to the main channel of the Clarks River. Soils data were also added to determine how different soil types relate to differences in elevation
