Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Seasonal Flow and Salt Transport for the C&D Canal

• Main Authors: Hsieh, Bernard B, Richards, David R
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: ACCURACY; AIR WATER INTERACTIONS; BOUNDARIES; CANALS; CHANNEL FLOW; CHANNELS(WATERWAYS); CHESAPEAKE AND DELAWARE CANAL; CHESAPEAKE BAY; Civil Engineering; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; DELAWARE BAY; DELAWARE RIVER; ELEVATION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT; EQUATIONS OF MOTION; ESTUARIES; FINITE DIFFERENCE THEORY; FRESH WATER; HYDRODYNAMICS; HYDROLOGY; Hydrology, Limnology and Potamology; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; OCEAN BASINS; OCEAN TIDES; SALINITY; SALTS; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; SUSQUEHANNA RIVER; THREE DIMENSIONAL FLOW; TIDAL CURRENTS; TURBULENCE; WATER FLOW

Three-dimensional flow and transport models were developed to study the impact of deepening the C&D Canal and approach channel in Chesapeake Bay from 35 ft to 40 ft. The area modelled included Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean upstream to the head of tide, the C&D Canal, and the upper Chesapeake Bay from Annapolis, MD, upstream to the head of tide. The boundary conditions for the models were based on two 3-month seasonal periods. The models were verified with observed prototype data and found accurate for water-surface elevations, tidal currents, and salinity distributions. Twenty-four simulations were conducted with a wide range of boundary conditions and geometries, including combinations of freshwater inflow, tide, and salinity boundary conditions. The low-flow, medium-flow, and high-flow conditions were determined using a statistical analysis of the historical records. Original contains color plates: All DTIC/NTIS will be in black and white.