Conceptual Model for Sediment Transport in SF Bay

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Conceptual Model for Sediment Transport in SF Bay

• Presented to CFWG June 10, 2009

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Background (Craig Jones, Sea Engineering)

• Understanding of contaminant fate and transport
  must be developed through a thorough
  understanding of hydrodynamics, sediment, and
  then contaminant transport in the system.
• Overall, robust descriptions of hydrodynamics and
  circulation patterns exist in San Francisco Bay
• Although a great deal of outstanding work in
  sediment transport in the Bay has been done, a
  comprehensive well-accepted conceptual site model
  has not been developed.
• Numerical models of sediment transport in San
  Francisco Bay have been application specific and
  do not address many of the needs for
  understanding contaminant transport.

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Background (Craig Jones, Sea Engineering)

• Without a good basic quantitative understanding
  of hydrodynamics and sediment transport
  processes, it is extremely difficult to develop a
  quantitative understanding of contaminant
  transport
• The most quantitative description of transport in
  the Bay can be, and has been to an extent,
  compartmentalized into understanding of various
  hot spots

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Proposal (25k)

• Goals
• to develop a conceptual model of sediment
  transport in San Francisco Bay
• use existing data only (i.e., no field
  component).
• integrate and interpret existing information on
  sediment transport in natural and urbanized
  estuaries
• attempt to extend that information to the Bay
• attempt to elucidate the influence of nearshore
  regions (i.e., margins) on the overall sediment
  budget.
• identify critical information gaps
• help local stakeholders manage sediment, and
  contaminants, more effectively
• Deliverable
• technical report summarizing understanding of
  sediment transport in SF Bay

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Proposal (25k)

• Potential collaborators
• Dave Schoellhamer (USGS)
• Craig Jones (Sea Engineering)
• David Ralston (WHOI)
• USGS Woods Hole
• Patrick Barnard Dan Hanes (USGS Santa Cruz)
• Others ?