ESTUARY RESPONSE TO EXTREME RIVER DISCHARGE EVENTS AFTER DREDGING OPERATIONS

Growing concern about the effects of dredging in certain nearshore areas has led to the development of complex tools to analyze the effects of bathymetric changes on estuarine dynamics. Changes occur not only for average conditions, but also in the response to extreme river discharge events and storm surges (Hoagland et al., 2020), both of which affect salinity distribution. This study aims to develop a simplified numerical tool to formulate a behavioral model that approximates the salt transport response to extreme river discharge events in real dredged estuaries. The results are highly relevant for basin management to improve salinity control and to adjust river discharge to avoid the consequences of excessive salt intrusion.