Abstract
2D numerical modelling of the breaching process of the Klein River Estuary in South Africa was carried out. The model was calibrated on field data and performs reasonably well, and is able to simulate the ebb and flood channels that form upstream of the mouth. The focus of the simulations was to determine the effectiveness of flushing of sediments during breaching, by investigating the breaching process at different water levels in the estuary, as well as at two different areas along the berm. Breaching at higher water levels increases the effectiveness of flushing as the discharge through the mouth increases significantly at higher water levels. Flushing towards the middle or south-east side of the berm is much more effective than towards the north-west side.
Highlights
Many estuaries in South Africa are only temporarily open to the sea due to factors such as the low tidal variation
In the case of the Groot Brak Estuary it was found that by using the annual release to breach the mouth at higher levels, more sediment is flushed out during breachings and that the state of sedimentation in the lower estuary is similar to what it was before the dam was built (Schumann, 2003)
MIKE 21C is based on a curvilinear grid, and hydrodynamics, sediment transport and river morphology can be simulated
Summary
Many estuaries in South Africa are only temporarily open to the sea due to factors such as the low tidal variation. In the case of the Groot Brak Estuary it was found that by using the annual release to breach the mouth at higher levels, more sediment is flushed out during breachings and that the state of sedimentation in the lower estuary is similar to what it was before the dam was built (Schumann, 2003). This problem is not confined to South-Africa. Numerical modelling was identified as a possible tool to aid in the decision-making process
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