Sedimentation Patterns in a Stabilized Migratory Inlet, Blind Pass, Florida

Abstract

The shoaling rate in Blind Pass entrance channel approximately equals the net southward longshore sediment transport rate. Most of the shoaling occurs along the northern side of the channel. Flow measurements and numerical modeling reveal that the ebb current is approximately twice as strong in the thalweg along the south side as compared to the rest of the channel. In contrast, the flood current is mainly uniform across the inlet and is stronger than the ebb flow over the northern portion. This flow-velocity distribution induced by a nearly 90-deg bend of the channel contributes to the shoaling pattern. Two years after the 2000 dredging, the shoal along the north side became shallow enough to induce wave breaking. Distinctive shoaling patterns influenced by seasonal wave climate were observed. Sediment deposition in the channel is closely related to the passages of cold fronts, which significantly increases the sediment supply by longshore transport.