Impacts of Tributary Inflows on the Circulation and Thermal Regime of the Green Bay Estuary of Lake Michigan
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 149, Issue 5
Abstract
One of the largest freshwater estuarine systems on Earth, Green Bay receives freshwater runoff from its land watershed and cold-water intrusions from Lake Michigan. Southern Green Bay is a designated area of concern (AOC) due to ecosystem degradation, contaminated sediments, and poor water quality. Successful restoration of aquatic systems requires a clear understanding of their circulation and thermal regimes. Using a state-of-the-art numerical ocean model, this study examines the effect of variability in tributary inflows and the related lake intrusions on the circulation and thermal regime in Green Bay and on the mass and heat fluxes between lower- and upper–Green Bay areas. Our findings indicate that tributaries influence the circulation and thermal regime, locally and throughout the bay, and that the impact is more significant in hydrologically wet years. Model simulations showed evidence of small net transport out of lower Green Bay. This analysis of the simultaneous effects of tributary flows and lake intrusions in Green Bay can contribute to understanding the dynamics of freshwater estuaries and improve the planning of future restoration projects.
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Data Availability Statement
Some data, models, or code used during the study were provided by a third party. Direct requests for these materials may be made to the provider as indicated in the Acknowledgements.
Acknowledgments
This project was funded partially by the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Omnibus Program Grant 144-AAG3496-UWMKE19A. River inputs are obtained from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database (https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis). Buoy observations are downloaded from NOAA National Data Buoy Center (https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/) and Great Lakes Observing System (https://uwm.edu/glos/). GLSEA lake surface temperature product is also obtained from NOAA/GLERL CoastWatch Great Lakes platform (https://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/glsea/). The documentation for the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model and the code can be obtained from the FVCOM support website (http://fvcom.smast.umassd.edu/).
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Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 149 • Issue 5 • May 2023
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© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Feb 9, 2022
Accepted: Nov 7, 2022
Published online: Mar 15, 2023
Published in print: May 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Aug 15, 2023
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