Document Type
Report
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Publication Date
6-2009
Abstract
Water quality in Chesapeake Bay has degraded over the past 50 years with respect to oxygen depletion and reduced light attenuation. While the causes are numerous, sediment resuspension from wave and tidal action cloud the water column and reduce light attenuation thereby negatively affecting submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) beds. Sediments on the Bay bottom come from upland runoff and shoreline erosion, each of which has significant contributions to the loading of sediments into estuary. The purpose of this report is to assess the present methods used to calculate sediment loading from tidal shoreline erosion that is input to the Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Model (WQM). Specific tasks were to: 1. review and assess the overall methods and assumptions for estimating erosion rates particularly for the Virginia shoreline and provide recommendations for improving the shoreline erosion estimates; 2. Provide assistance in obtaining and applying additional data sets which may improve estimates of shoreline erosion; 3. Review and assess estimated splits of 65%:35% for bank and nearshore erosion.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21220/V57X4C
Keywords
Sediment, Chesapeake Bay - VA, Water Quality
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Hardaway, C., Milligan, D. A., Varnell, L. M., & Herman, J. (2009) Tidal Sediment Yield Estimate Methodology in Virginia for the Chesapeake Bay Program Water Quality Model. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary. https://doi.org/10.21220/V57X4C
