Intertidal Morphodynamics of the Avon River Estuary
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Intertidal Morphodynamics of the Avon River Estuary Photo by C. Banks, 1968 Final report submitted to the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works (NSTPW) Prepared by Dr. Danika van Proosdij, Department of Geography, Saint Mary’s University & Greg Baker, MP_SpARC, Saint Mary’s University 923 Robie, St. Halifax, N.S., B3H 3C3 September 30, 2007 Intertidal Morphodynamics of the Avon River Estuary Final Report TABLE of CONTENTS Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………………ii Executive Summary...............................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgements & Funding Sources……………………………………………………………..vii List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………………..x List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………… ...xvii 1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………...18 2.0 Study Area…………………………………………………………………………………….24 2.1 Geographical and Environmental Setting……………………………………………...24 2.1.1 Climate & Meterological Conditions…………………………………………..24 2.1.2 Tides……………………………………………………………………………26 2.1.3 Waves & Storms………………………………………………………………..30 2.2 Sedimentary Dynamics………………………………………………………………...33 2.2.1 Surficial Geology ad Geomorphology…………………………………………33 2.2.2 Suspended Sediment Concentration and Deposition…………………………..34 2.2.3 Currents………………………………………………………………………..36 2.3 Intertidal Ecosystems…………………………………………………………………..36 2.4 History of Dyking and Construction of the Windsor Causeway………………………38 3.0 Methods……………………………………………………………………………………….48 3.1 General Research Approach…………………………………………………………..48 3.2 Bathymetric and Topographic Data…………………………………………………....48 3.2.1 Historical Bathymetry………………………………………………………….48 3.2.2 MMRA Cross Sectional Profiles……………………………………………….53 3.2.3 Contemporary………………………………………………………………….58 3.2.4 Digital Elevation Model Generation…………………………………………...60 3.2.5 Hydraulic Geometry and Prism Calculations………………………………….61 3.2.6 Assumptions and limitations of the analysis…………………………………....64 3.3 Analysis of Intertidal Ecosystems……………………………………………………...64 3.3.1 Aerial photo mosaics & Satellite Imagery……………………………………..64 3.3.2 Salt Marsh Habitat Quantification…………………………………………….65 3.3.3 Intertidal Features……………………………………………………………..66 3.3.4 Assumptions and limitations…………………………………………………...66 van Proosdij et al., 2007 ii Intertidal Morphodynamics of the Avon River Estuary Final Report 4.0 Results 4.1 Cross Sectional Profiles………………………………………………………………...68 4.1.1 Description of Changes in the St. Croix River…………………………………68 4.1.2 Description of Changes in the Avon River……………………………………..77 4.1.3 Description of Changes in the Kennetcook River………………………………110 4.1.4 Downstream Changes in Cross Sectional Form along the Avon River……….115 4.1.5 Downstream Changes in Tidal Prism…………………………………………120 4.2 Salt Marsh Habitat…………………………………………………………………….127 4.3 Intertidal Sedimentary Features……………………………………………………….156 5.0 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………….160 6.0 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………….165 References……………………………………………………………………………………………169 Appendix A: Tidal and Meterological conditions during bathymetric surveys……………………..176 Appendix B: Flight times and corresponding tidal elevations for air photo mosaics……………… 186 van Proosdij et al., 2007 iii Intertidal Morphodynamics of the Avon River Estuary Final Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this research was to investigate the spatial and temporal variability in intertidal morphodynamics of the Avon River Estuary, and assess the resilience of the system to the influence of tidal barrier construction. The research was conducted on the Avon River Estuary in the Minas Basin from the head of the estuary to the lighthouse at Horton Bluff approximately 16 km downstream of the existing causeway. Contemporary bathymetric surveys (December 2005, June & August 2006) were compared with historical surveys conducted by the Maritime Marshland Rehabilitation Administration (MMRA) in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as well as bathymetric surveys from the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) in 1969 and 1976, and an 1858 bathymetric chart from the archives of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office in the United Kingdom. In addition, changes in salt marsh habitat and the position of intertidal features were quantified using historical charts, aerial photo mosaics and satellite imagery in ArcGIS 9.1 from 1858 to 2003. In recent years, attention has shifted from the construction of large tidal barrages to the potential removal of large tidal barriers, such as the Petitcodiac Causeway in New Brunswick, or smaller barriers and dykes through salt marsh restoration projects. In addition, there has been a resurgence of interest in tidal power, although this would be generated most likely using underwater turbines rather than the large scale barrage scheme proposed in the 1970s. All of these activities could result in changes to the hydrodynamic and sedimentary regime, and the consequences of such alterations cannot be predicted with confidence at the present time. It is not a question of whether or not intertidal ecosystems will be impacted. Rather, it is the magnitude and extent, both spatially and temporally, of these impacts on new or altered equilibrium states, that has to be determined. However, discerning the impacts of these large scale structures from natural ecosystem changes (e.g. storm frequency, sea level, sediment sources) or non point impacts (e.g. historical dyking) can be a challenge. Cycles of sedimentation and erosion have been documented on numerous marsh and mudflat systems in macrotidal estuaries around the world. These cycles have been linked to changes in sea level and to the tidal prism due to human activities such as tidal barrier construction, dyke construction or dredging and changes in natural processes such as changes in wind/wave climate, sediment supply, cliff morphology, intertidal sedimentation, river discharge, and changes in the location of the major tidal channel. Many of these studies also indicate the difficulty of discerning changes based on limited field data of a historical or contemporary nature. van Proosdij et al., 2007 iv Intertidal Morphodynamics of the Avon River Estuary Final Report As previous research has indicated, the intertidal geomorphology of the Avon River Estuary has been impacted by the construction of the Windsor causeway. However, the spatial extent and magnitude of this impact is less than originally postulated in the 1970s. Many of the changes might also be associated with natural fluctuations in the position of the main tidal channel thalweg. Expanding the temporal scope of the research to include almost a 150 year period has revealed that, despite significant changes in anthropogenic modifications to the estuary, the Avon River Estuary is a resilient system which may be considered to be in an equilibrium state over most of its reach. This equilibrium state, however, is not necessarily the same one which existed in 1858. Overall, there has been a significant decrease in the intertidal cross section (e.g. sedimentation) since the construction of the causeway within the first 1500 m downstream. This decrease in cross sectional area ranged from 75% to 54% from 1970 to 2006 as a layer of sediment between 5.8 to 6.5 m deep accumulated downstream of the causeway. These changes can likely be directly attributed to the construction of the causeway in 1969. However, this significant accumulation of sediment has occurred at the site of an intertidal bar which was present before the construction of the Windsor causeway, and evidence suggests that it was also present in 1858. The extensive salt marsh which has evolved adjacent to the causeway marsh and mudflat surface is now near the limit of the Higher High Water Mean Tides level, and rates of sedimentation on the marsh surface will decrease due to decreased innundation frequency. An increase in the high marsh (Spartina patens) community is anticipated. As a result of the decreased frequency of innundation and sequestration of sediment, more sediment will be available for deposition elsewhere such as the main tidal channel parallel to the causeway and newly developing salt marsh on the Newport bar or along the western shore close to the tide gate. Beyond this point, changes in cross section have been minimal or have significantly increased (e.g. deepened) until 3 km downstream. Although there has been another significant decrease in cross sectional area between 3 and 4.5 km downstream of the causeway, this decrease is more likely associated with the natural migration of the main tidal channel than the causeway. In addition, evidence is presented to support seasonal cycles of changes in bed elevation by as much as 2 m, which exceed the differences recorded between 1858-1969 and 2005/2006 in some locations. Seasonality and meteorological conditions (e.g. rainfall and runoff) can exert a strong influence on the interpretation and comparison of survey data. In addition, the resolution of sampling points and employing spatial van Proosdij et al., 2007 v Intertidal Morphodynamics of the Avon River Estuary Final Report interpolation techniques can influence the interpretation of change in the tidal prism. For the remaining 11 km or so downstream, there have been negligiable changes in intertidal cross sectional since 1858. Any changes in bed elevation can be linked to changes in the position of major sand intertidal bodies. Any areas of sedimentation along the shoreline are compensated by either deepening of the main