Modeling Salt Water Intrusion in Tanshui River Estuarine System—Case-Study Contrasting Now and Then
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 130, Issue 9
Abstract
A vertical (laterally integrated) two-dimensional numerical model was applied to study the salt water intrusion in the Tanshui River estuarine system, Taiwan. The river system has experienced dramatic changes in the past half century because of human intervention. The construction of two reservoirs and water diversion in the upper reaches of the river system significantly reduces the freshwater inflow. The land subsidence within the Taipei basin and the enlargement of the river constriction at Kuan-Du have lowered the river bed. Both changes have contributed farther to the intrusion of tidal flow and salt water in the upstream direction. The model was reverified with the earliest available hydrographic data measured in 1977. The overall performance of the model is in reasonable agreement with the field data. The model was then used to investigate the change in salt water intrusion as a result of reservoir construction and bathymetric changes in the river system. The model simulation study reveals that significant salinity increases have resulted from the combined changes. It has been speculated by ecological researchers that the long-term increase in salinity might be the driving force altering the aquatic ecosystem structure in the lower reach of the estuary and the Kuan-Du mangrove swamp, particularly the enlargement of the mangrove area and the disappearance of freshwater marshes. However, concrete proof has not been available since no prototype salinity data were available prior to the reservoir construction. This case study offers the first quantitative estimate of the salinity changes due to human interference in this natural system.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Blumberg, A. F.(1977). “Numerical model of estuarine circulation.” J. Hydraul. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 103(3), 295–310.
Blumberg, A. F. (1986). “Turbulent mixing processes in lakes, reservoirs, and impoundments.” Physics-based modeling of lakes, reservoir, and impoundments, W. G. Gray, ed., ASCE, New York, 79–104.
Blumberg, A. F., Khan, L. A., and John, J. P. St.(1999). “Three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of New York harbor region.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 125(8), 799–816.
Casulli, V., and Cheng, R. T.(1992). “Semi-implicit finite difference methods for the three-dimensional shallow water flow.” Int. J. Numer. Methods Fluids, 15, 629–648.
Dyer, K. R. (1973). Estuaries: A physical introduction, Wiley, New York.
Festa, J. F., and Hansen, D. V.(1976). “A two-dimensional numerical model of estuarine circulation: the effects of altering depth and river discharge.” Estuarine Coastal Mar. Sci., 4, 309–323.
Hall, R. W., and Chapman, R. S. (1985). “Two-dimensional QUICKEST; solution of the depth-average transport-dispersion equation.” Technical Rep. EL-85-3, US Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, Miss.
Hsu, M. H., Kuo, A. Y., Kuo, J. T., and Liu, W. C. (1996). “Study of tidal characteristics, estuarine circulation and salinity distribution in Tanshui River system (I).” Technical Rep. No. 239, Hydrotech Research Institute, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (in Chinese).
Hsu, M. H., Kuo, A. Y., Kuo, J. T., and Liu, W. C. (1997). “Study of tidal characteristics, estuarine circulation and salinity distribution in Tanshui River system (II).” Technical Rep. No. 273, Hydrotech Research Institute, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (in Chinese).
Hsu, M. H., Kuo, A. Y., Kuo, J. T., and Liu, W. C.(1999a). “Procedure to calibrate and verify numerical models of estuarine hydrodynamics.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 125(2), 166–182.
Hsu, M. H., Kuo, A. Y., Liu, W. C., and Kuo, J. T.(1999b). “Numerical simulation of circulation and salinity distribution in the Tanshui estuary.” Proc. Natl. Sci. Counc., Repub. China, Part A: Phys. Sci. Eng., 23(2), 259–273.
Johnson, B. H., Kim, K. W., Heath, R. E., Hsieh, B. B., and Butler, H. L.(1993). “Validation of 3-D hydrodynamic model of Chesapeake Bay.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 119(1), 2–20.
Kjerfve, B. (1976). “The Santee-Cooper: A study of estuarine manipulations.” Estuarine processes, Vol. 1 M. Wiley, ed., Academic, Orlando, Fla., 44–56.
Kjerfve, B., and Greer, J. E.(1978). “Hydrography of the Santee River during moderate discharge conditions.” Estuaries, 1, 111–119.
Kuo, A. Y., and Liu, W. C. (2001). “Investigation of hydrodynamic characteristics in the Tanshui River estuarine system.” 2001 Agricultural Engineering Annual Conference, Dept. of Agricultrual Engineering, National Taiwan Univ., Taipai, Taiwan, 1–13 (in Chinese).
Lai, Y. G., Weber, L. J., and Patel, V. C.(2003). “Nonhydrostatic three-dimensional model for hydraulic flow simulation. I: Formulation and verification.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 129(3), 196–205.
Leonard, B. P., Vachtsevanos, G. J., and Abood, K. A. (1978). “Unsteady-state, two-dimensional salinity intrusion model for an estuary.” Applied numerical modelling, C. Brebbia, ed., Pen Tech. Press, 113–123.
Liu, W. C., Hsu, M. H., and Wang, C. F.(2003). “Modeling of flow resistance in mangrove swamp at mouth of tidal Keelung River, Taiwan.” J. Waterw., Port, Coastal, Ocean Eng., 129(2), 86–92.
McAlice, B. J., and Jaeger, Jr., G. B.(1983). “Circulation changes in the Sheepscot River estuary, Maine, following removal of a causeway.” Estuaries, 6, 190–199.
Park, K., and Kuo, A. Y. (1993). “A vertical two-dimensional model of estuarine hydrodynamics and water quality.” Special Report of Applied Marine Science Sci. and Ocean Eng. No. 321, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, Va.
Park, K., and Kuo, A. Y.(1995). “A framework for coupling shoals and shallow embayments with main channels in numerical modeling of coastal plain estuaries.” Estuaries, 18(2), 341–350.
Pritchard, D. W.(1954). “A study of salt balance in a coastal plain estuary.” J. Mar. Res., 13(1), 133–144.
Pritchard, D. W.(1956). “The dynamic structure of a coastal plain estuary.” J. Mar. Res., 15(1), 33–42.
Roache, P. J. (1972). Computational fluid dynamics, Hermosa, Socorro, N.M.
Rossby, C. G., and Montgomery, R. B. (1935). “The layer of frictional influence in wind and ocean currents.” Physical oceanography and meteorology.
Talbot, J. W., and Talbot, G. A.(1974). “Diffusion in shallow seas and in English coastal and estuarine waters.” Rapp. P.-V. Reun.-Cons. Int. Explor. Mer, 167, 93–110.
Wang, I. Z. (1999). “An ecological study of estuarine wetlands-A case study of the changing vegetations of Kuan-Du mangrove swamp.” Masters thesis, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (in Chinese).
Wang, J. D., Blumberg, A. F., Bulter, H. L., and Hamilton, P.(1990). “Transport prediction in partially stratified tidal water.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 116(3), 380–396.
Wang, L. L., Mysak, A., and Ingram, R. G.(1994). “A 3-D numerical simulation of Hudson Bay summer circulation.” J. Phys. Oceanogr., 24, 2496–2514.
Wester, L. (1988). “Vegetation change in Kuan-Du marsh, Taiwan 1978–1985.” Detailed planning of Kuan-Du National Park, Taipei City Government, Taipei, 415–426.
Wu, J. T. (2000). “Establishment of ecological monitoring system in Tanshui River estuary.” Report to Institute of Academic Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (in Chinese).
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 130 • Issue 9 • September 2004
Pages: 849 - 859
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 25, 2002
Accepted: Feb 10, 2004
Published online: Aug 16, 2004
Published in print: Sep 2004
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.