Enhanced Tidal Intrusion in the Barataria Basin, Mississippi River Delta

Kang, B. and Xie, S., 2025. Enhanced tidal intrusion in the Barataria Basin, Mississippi River Delta. Journal of Coastal Research, 41(2), 336–346. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Microtidal deltaic systems, comprising a significant portion of global coastal wetlands, are increasingly vulnerable to the combined effects of accelerated sea-level rise and anthropogenic modifications. This study investigates two decades of tidal propagation trends within Louisiana's Barataria Basin, a representative microtidal delta, using wavelet analysis and cross-spectrum techniques applied to a long-term water-level dataset. Results showed a consistent decrease in the predominant (K1) tidal constituent's attenuation, with amplitude ratios at inland stations increasing by as much as 50% between 2008 and 2022. Furthermore, analysis of tidal phase lag variations indicates an increasing trend in K1 tidal wave celerity, suggesting more efficient inland propagation of diurnal tide. This study highlights the rapidly evolving tidal dynamics in microtidal systems and demonstrates the utility of wavelet-based approaches for quantifying these critical changes.