Search

Search Results

• 1. [Article] Tidal-Fluvial and Estuarine Processes in the Lower Columbia River: I. Along-Channel Water Level Variations, Pacific Ocean to Bonneville Dam

  This two-part paper provides comprehensive time and frequency domain analyses and models of along-channel water level variations in the 234-km-long Lower Columbia River and Estuary (LCRE) and documents ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Tidal-Fluvial and Estuarine Processes in the Lower Columbia River: I. Along-Channel Water Level Variations, Pacific Ocean to Bonneville Dam Author: Jay, David A, Leffler, Keith, Diefenderfer, Heida, Borde, Amy B. Year: 2015 This two-part paper provides comprehensive time and frequency domain analyses and models of along-channel water level variations in the 234-km-long Lower Columbia River and Estuary (LCRE) and documents the response of floodplain wetlands thereto. In Part I, power spectra, continuous wavelet transforms, and harmonic analyses are used to understand the influences of tides, river flow, upwelling and downwelling, and hydropower operations (“power-peaking”) on the water level regime. Estuarine water levels are influenced primarily by astronomical tides and coastal processes and secondarily by river flow. The importance of coastal and tidal influences decreases in the landward direction, and water levels are increasingly controlled by river flow variations at periods from ≤1 day to years. Water level records are only slightly nonstationary near the ocean, but become highly irregular upriver. Although astronomically forced tidal constituents decrease above the estuary, tidal fortnightly and overtide variations increase for 80–200 km landward, both relative to major tidal constituents and in absolute terms. Near the head of the tide at Bonneville Dam, strong diel and weekly fluctuations caused by power-peaking replace tidal daily (diurnal and semidiurnal) and fortnightly variations. Tides account for 60–70 %, river flow and seasonal processes 5–20 %, and weather 2–4 % of the total variance in the seaward 60 km of the system. In the landward 70 km of the LCRE, seasonalfluvial variations account for 80–90% of the variance, powerpeaking 1–6 %, and tides Title: Tidal-Fluvial and Estuarine Processes in the Lower Columbia River: I. Along-Channel Water Level Variations, Pacific Ocean to Bonneville Dam Author: Jay, David A, Leffler, Keith, Diefenderfer, Heida, Borde, Amy B. Year: 2015 This two-part paper provides comprehensive time and frequency domain analyses and models of along-channel water level variations in the 234-km-long Lower Columbia River and Estuary (LCRE) and documents the response of floodplain wetlands thereto. In Part I, power spectra, continuous wavelet transforms, and harmonic analyses are used to understand the influences of tides, river flow, upwelling and downwelling, and hydropower operations (“power-peaking”) on the water level regime. Estuarine water levels are influenced primarily by astronomical tides and coastal processes and secondarily by river flow. The importance of coastal and tidal influences decreases in the landward direction, and water levels are increasingly controlled by river flow variations at periods from ≤1 day to years. Water level records are only slightly nonstationary near the ocean, but become highly irregular upriver. Although astronomically forced tidal constituents decrease above the estuary, tidal fortnightly and overtide variations increase for 80–200 km landward, both relative to major tidal constituents and in absolute terms. Near the head of the tide at Bonneville Dam, strong diel and weekly fluctuations caused by power-peaking replace tidal daily (diurnal and semidiurnal) and fortnightly variations. Tides account for 60–70 %, river flow and seasonal processes 5–20 %, and weather 2–4 % of the total variance in the seaward 60 km of the system. In the landward 70 km of the LCRE, seasonalfluvial variations account for 80–90% of the variance, powerpeaking 1–6 %, and tides Close

• 2. [Article] A Novel Approach to Flow Estimation in Tidal Rivers

  Reliable estimation of river discharge to the ocean from large tidal rivers is vital for water resources management and climate analyses. Due to the difficulties inherent in measuring tidal-river discharge, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A Novel Approach to Flow Estimation in Tidal Rivers Author: Moftakhari Rostamkhani, Hamed, Jay, David A, Talke, Stefan A., Kukulka, Tobias, Bromirski, Peter D. Year: 2013 Reliable estimation of river discharge to the ocean from large tidal rivers is vital for water resources management and climate analyses. Due to the difficulties inherent in measuring tidal-river discharge, flow records are often limited in length and/or quality and tidal records often predate discharge records. Tidal theory indicates that tides and river discharge interact through quadratic bed friction, which diminishes and distorts the tidal wave as discharge increases. We use this phenomenon to develop a method of estimating river discharge for time periods with tidal data but no flow record. Employing sequential 32 day harmonic analyses of tidal properties, we calibrate San Francisco (SF), CA tide data to the Sacramento River delta outflow index from 1930 to 1990, and use the resulting relationship to hindcast river flow from 1858 to 1929. The M2 admittance (a ratio of the observed M2 tidal constituent to its astronomical forcing) best reproduces high flows, while low-flow periods are better represented by amplitude ratios based on higher harmonics (e.g.). Results show that the annual inflow to SF Bay is now 30% less than before 1900 and confirm that the flood of January 1862 was the largest since 1858. Title: A Novel Approach to Flow Estimation in Tidal Rivers Author: Moftakhari Rostamkhani, Hamed, Jay, David A, Talke, Stefan A., Kukulka, Tobias, Bromirski, Peter D. Year: 2013 Reliable estimation of river discharge to the ocean from large tidal rivers is vital for water resources management and climate analyses. Due to the difficulties inherent in measuring tidal-river discharge, flow records are often limited in length and/or quality and tidal records often predate discharge records. Tidal theory indicates that tides and river discharge interact through quadratic bed friction, which diminishes and distorts the tidal wave as discharge increases. We use this phenomenon to develop a method of estimating river discharge for time periods with tidal data but no flow record. Employing sequential 32 day harmonic analyses of tidal properties, we calibrate San Francisco (SF), CA tide data to the Sacramento River delta outflow index from 1930 to 1990, and use the resulting relationship to hindcast river flow from 1858 to 1929. The M2 admittance (a ratio of the observed M2 tidal constituent to its astronomical forcing) best reproduces high flows, while low-flow periods are better represented by amplitude ratios based on higher harmonics (e.g.). Results show that the annual inflow to SF Bay is now 30% less than before 1900 and confirm that the flood of January 1862 was the largest since 1858. Close

• 3. [Article] Tidal-Fluvial and Estuarine Processes in the Lower Columbia River: II. Water Level Models, Floodplain Wetland Inundation, and System Zones

  Spatially varying water-level regimes are a factor controlling estuarine and tidal-fluvial wetland vegetation patterns. As described in Part I, water levels in the Lower Columbia River and estuary (LCRE) ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Tidal-Fluvial and Estuarine Processes in the Lower Columbia River: II. Water Level Models, Floodplain Wetland Inundation, and System Zones Author: Jay, David A, Borde, Amy B., Diefenderfer, Heida Year: 2016 Spatially varying water-level regimes are a factor controlling estuarine and tidal-fluvial wetland vegetation patterns. As described in Part I, water levels in the Lower Columbia River and estuary (LCRE) are influenced by tides, river flow, hydropower operations, and coastal processes. In Part II, regression models based on tidal theory are used to quantify the role of these processes in determining water levels in the mainstem river and floodplain wetlands, and to provide 21-year inundation hindcasts. Analyses are conducted at 19 LCRE mainstem channel stations and 23 tidally exposed floodplain wetland stations. Sum exceedance values (SEVs) are used to compare wetland hydrologic regimes at different locations on the river floodplain. A new predictive tool is introduced and validated, the potential SEV (pSEV), which can reduce the need for extensive new data collection in wetland restoration planning. Models of water levels and inundation frequency distinguish four zones encompassing eight reaches. The system zones are the wave- and current-dominated Entrance to river kilometer (rkm) 5; the Estuary (rkm-5 to 87), comprised of a lower reach with salinity, the energy minimum (where the turbidity maximum normally occurs), and an upper estuary reach without salinity; the Tidal River (rkm-87 to 229), with lower, middle, and upper reaches in which river flow becomes increasingly dominant over tides in determining water levels; and the steep and weakly tidal Cascade (rkm-229 to 234) immediately downstream from Bonneville Dam. The same zonation is seen in the water levels of floodplain stations, with considerable modification of tidal properties. The system zones and reaches defined here reflect geological features and their boundaries are congruent with five wetland vegetation zones. Title: Tidal-Fluvial and Estuarine Processes in the Lower Columbia River: II. Water Level Models, Floodplain Wetland Inundation, and System Zones Author: Jay, David A, Borde, Amy B., Diefenderfer, Heida Year: 2016 Spatially varying water-level regimes are a factor controlling estuarine and tidal-fluvial wetland vegetation patterns. As described in Part I, water levels in the Lower Columbia River and estuary (LCRE) are influenced by tides, river flow, hydropower operations, and coastal processes. In Part II, regression models based on tidal theory are used to quantify the role of these processes in determining water levels in the mainstem river and floodplain wetlands, and to provide 21-year inundation hindcasts. Analyses are conducted at 19 LCRE mainstem channel stations and 23 tidally exposed floodplain wetland stations. Sum exceedance values (SEVs) are used to compare wetland hydrologic regimes at different locations on the river floodplain. A new predictive tool is introduced and validated, the potential SEV (pSEV), which can reduce the need for extensive new data collection in wetland restoration planning. Models of water levels and inundation frequency distinguish four zones encompassing eight reaches. The system zones are the wave- and current-dominated Entrance to river kilometer (rkm) 5; the Estuary (rkm-5 to 87), comprised of a lower reach with salinity, the energy minimum (where the turbidity maximum normally occurs), and an upper estuary reach without salinity; the Tidal River (rkm-87 to 229), with lower, middle, and upper reaches in which river flow becomes increasingly dominant over tides in determining water levels; and the steep and weakly tidal Cascade (rkm-229 to 234) immediately downstream from Bonneville Dam. The same zonation is seen in the water levels of floodplain stations, with considerable modification of tidal properties. The system zones and reaches defined here reflect geological features and their boundaries are congruent with five wetland vegetation zones. Close

• 4. [Article] Estimating River Discharge Using Multiple-Tide Gauges Distributed Along a Channel

  Reliable estimation of freshwater inflow to the ocean from large tidal rivers is vital for water resources management and climate analyses. Discharge gauging stations are typically located beyond the tidal ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Estimating River Discharge Using Multiple-Tide Gauges Distributed Along a Channel Author: Moftakhari, Hamed R., Jay, David A, Talke, Stefan Year: 2016 Reliable estimation of freshwater inflow to the ocean from large tidal rivers is vital for water resources management and climate analyses. Discharge gauging stations are typically located beyond the tidal intrusion reach, such that inputs and losses occurring closer to the ocean are not included. Here, we develop a method of estimating river discharge using multiple gauges and time-dependent tidal statistics determined via wavelet analysis. The Multiple-gauge Tidal Discharge Estimate (MTDE) method is developed using data from the Columbia River and Fraser River estuaries and calibrated against river discharge. Next, we evaluate the general applicability of MTDE by testing an idealized two-dimensional numerical model, with a convergent cross-sectional profile, for eighty-one cases in which nondimensional numbers for friction, river flow, and convergence length scale are varied. The simulations suggest that MTDE is applicable to a variety of tidal systems. Model results and data analyses together suggest that MTDE works best with at least three gauges: a reference station near the river mouth, and two upstream gauges that respond strongly to distinct portions of the observed range of flow. The balance between tidal damping and amplifying factors determines the favorable location of the gauges. Compared to previous studies, the MTDE method improves the time resolution of estimates (from 2.5 to < 1 week) and is applicable to systems with mixed diurnal/semidiurnal tides. However, model results suggest that tide-induced residual flows such as the Stokes drift may still affect the accuracy of MTDE at seaward locations during periods of low river discharge. Title: Estimating River Discharge Using Multiple-Tide Gauges Distributed Along a Channel Author: Moftakhari, Hamed R., Jay, David A, Talke, Stefan Year: 2016 Reliable estimation of freshwater inflow to the ocean from large tidal rivers is vital for water resources management and climate analyses. Discharge gauging stations are typically located beyond the tidal intrusion reach, such that inputs and losses occurring closer to the ocean are not included. Here, we develop a method of estimating river discharge using multiple gauges and time-dependent tidal statistics determined via wavelet analysis. The Multiple-gauge Tidal Discharge Estimate (MTDE) method is developed using data from the Columbia River and Fraser River estuaries and calibrated against river discharge. Next, we evaluate the general applicability of MTDE by testing an idealized two-dimensional numerical model, with a convergent cross-sectional profile, for eighty-one cases in which nondimensional numbers for friction, river flow, and convergence length scale are varied. The simulations suggest that MTDE is applicable to a variety of tidal systems. Model results and data analyses together suggest that MTDE works best with at least three gauges: a reference station near the river mouth, and two upstream gauges that respond strongly to distinct portions of the observed range of flow. The balance between tidal damping and amplifying factors determines the favorable location of the gauges. Compared to previous studies, the MTDE method improves the time resolution of estimates (from 2.5 to < 1 week) and is applicable to systems with mixed diurnal/semidiurnal tides. However, model results suggest that tide-induced residual flows such as the Stokes drift may still affect the accuracy of MTDE at seaward locations during periods of low river discharge. Close

• 5. [Article] Estuarine Turbidity Maxima Revisited: Instrumental Approaches, Remote Sensing, Modeling Studies, and New Directions

  Estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) are zones of elevated sediment concentration that often occur in coastal plain, salt wedge, and river-dominated estuaries, where they influence the morphodynamic development, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Estuarine Turbidity Maxima Revisited: Instrumental Approaches, Remote Sensing, Modeling Studies, and New Directions Author: Jay, David A, Talke, Stefan, Hudson, A., Twardowski, Michael Year: 2015 Estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) are zones of elevated sediment concentration that often occur in coastal plain, salt wedge, and river-dominated estuaries, where they influence the morphodynamic development, biogeochemical cycling, and contaminant redistribution of these systems. In this review, we examine recent advances in in situ and remote sensing techniques that can be used to improve our understanding of ETM, summarize recent theoretical and numerical modeling results, and define a series of research questions for the next decade. New acoustic configurations and instruments have the potential to address gaps in current observational capabilities and understanding, for example by providing better definition of vertical and horizontal sediment fluxes. Higher resolution (meter scale) ocean color remote sensing will allow visualization of small-scale features such as frontal boundaries and turbulent eddies in a manner that has not previously been possible. Increasing spectral resolution in ocean color images will allow development of improved algorithms to quantify sediment concentrations remotely. Additionally, the in-water optical techniques used to validate and develop algorithms for ocean color remote sensing can be adapted to estuaries, and are often amenable to rapid survey modes of deployment. In sum, these techniques provide opportunities to improve ETM models and theory. Recent theoretical analyses of the profiles of velocity and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in estuaries, integral analyses of ETM SSC conservation, and numerical model studies provide important insights into the response of ETM to external forcing and the mechanisms behind ETM particle trapping. However, existing studies produce more questions than answers. For example, it is still not possible to predict, except in very general terms, what trapping mechanisms will be active in different kinds of estuaries, and whether multiple ETM can be expected. The role of nonstationarity, extreme events, and climate change (e.g., mean sea level (MSL) rise and altered flow regimes) on ETM dynamics have not been systematically investigated, and feedbacks between anthropogenic influences and other system changes remain poorly understood. We summarize possible future analysis paths in terms of 10 research questions. Title: Estuarine Turbidity Maxima Revisited: Instrumental Approaches, Remote Sensing, Modeling Studies, and New Directions Author: Jay, David A, Talke, Stefan, Hudson, A., Twardowski, Michael Year: 2015 Estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) are zones of elevated sediment concentration that often occur in coastal plain, salt wedge, and river-dominated estuaries, where they influence the morphodynamic development, biogeochemical cycling, and contaminant redistribution of these systems. In this review, we examine recent advances in in situ and remote sensing techniques that can be used to improve our understanding of ETM, summarize recent theoretical and numerical modeling results, and define a series of research questions for the next decade. New acoustic configurations and instruments have the potential to address gaps in current observational capabilities and understanding, for example by providing better definition of vertical and horizontal sediment fluxes. Higher resolution (meter scale) ocean color remote sensing will allow visualization of small-scale features such as frontal boundaries and turbulent eddies in a manner that has not previously been possible. Increasing spectral resolution in ocean color images will allow development of improved algorithms to quantify sediment concentrations remotely. Additionally, the in-water optical techniques used to validate and develop algorithms for ocean color remote sensing can be adapted to estuaries, and are often amenable to rapid survey modes of deployment. In sum, these techniques provide opportunities to improve ETM models and theory. Recent theoretical analyses of the profiles of velocity and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in estuaries, integral analyses of ETM SSC conservation, and numerical model studies provide important insights into the response of ETM to external forcing and the mechanisms behind ETM particle trapping. However, existing studies produce more questions than answers. For example, it is still not possible to predict, except in very general terms, what trapping mechanisms will be active in different kinds of estuaries, and whether multiple ETM can be expected. The role of nonstationarity, extreme events, and climate change (e.g., mean sea level (MSL) rise and altered flow regimes) on ETM dynamics have not been systematically investigated, and feedbacks between anthropogenic influences and other system changes remain poorly understood. We summarize possible future analysis paths in terms of 10 research questions. Close