Abstract
The protection of a boat canal at the western entrance of Tangier Island, Virginia, located in the lower Chesapeake Bay, is investigated using different structural alternatives. The existing entrance channel is oriented 45 deg with respect to the local shoreline, and exposed directly to the lower Bay without any protection. The adjacent shoreline has experienced progressive erosion in recent decades by flooding due to severe storms and waves. To protect the western entrance of the channel and shoreline, five different jetty and spur combinations were proposed to reduce wave energy in the lee of jetties. Environmental forces affecting the proposed jettied inlet system are quantified using the Coastal Modeling System, consisting of a spectral wave model and a depth-averaged circulation model with sediment transport calculations. Numerical simulations were conducted for design wave conditions and a 50-year return period tropical storm at the project site. Model results show a low crested jetty of 170-m length connecting to the north shore at a 45-deg angle, and a short south spur of 25-m long, provide adequate wave-reduction benefits among the five proposed alternatives. The model simulation indicates this alternative has the minimum impact on sedimentation around the structured inlet and boat canal.
Highlights
Tangier Island (75°59.4′ W, 37°49.8′ N) is the southernmost of a string of islands
The simulations were first conducted with a regional grid, and results were used as input in the local Tangier Island grid calculations
Numerical modeling of waves and currents was conducted to assess the impacts of these environmental forces on jetty alternatives to protect a shallow draft navigation channel entrance on Tangier Island, VA, located in the south Chesapeake Bay
Summary
Tangier Island (75°59.4′ W, 37°49.8′ N) is the southernmost of a string of islands. The shallowerTangier Sound separates the lower Chesapeake Bay on the west from the east bay (Figure 1). Tangier Island (75°59.4′ W, 37°49.8′ N) is the southernmost of a string of islands. Tangier Sound separates the lower Chesapeake Bay on the west from the east bay (Figure 1). The island, approximately 8 km (5 miles) long by 3.2 km (2 miles) wide, is located in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay, 36 km (20 miles) southwest of Crisfield and 112 km (70 miles) north of Norfolk. Tangier Island is comprised of a few low fine-grained sand ridges with intervening marshlands having numerous islets and tidal creeks. The highest elevations of the island are only a few meters above the mean tide level (MTL). The small populated areas are primarily three interconnected ridges on the south-central portion of the island
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