HYDRODYNAMIC MODELING OF AN INLET WITH ESTUARINE SHORELINE PROTECTION

Abstract

Tidal inlets are dynamic systems, leading to engineering challenges in maintaining navigability and protecting infrastructure on adjacent shorelines. Interventions to stabilize tidal inlets are commonly used worldwide. It is known that many inlet stabilization techniques may lead to changes in the circulation and morphology of the inlet and adjacent shorelines (Toso et al., 2019). Most studies have focused on the implications for ocean-side dynamics; changes in the hydrodynamics on the estuarine side of the inlet are less understood. Oregon Inlet, located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, USA, separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound. This paper will discuss the effects of the different erosion mitigation alternatives on the hydrodynamics across the flood delta and the inlet’s main channel.