Hydro-ecological relations in the Delta Waters

osi*
rn@8IOIP
m .SL
4 Has
F~~ULB 3 Dpp~sitie @~pee3s Xn Ooster~whelii& has%n m& etjb eim delta
11;@?4-lbtS),, and xyt sadit+aqtat~&w wf gboals fmone betwem
level MS& 4 mm ht&h vacer slack in an
8werall cz&,&g B~sin Crib@, K?TS.j V.- Ocehgel, iSTT1
2.E Eypothe$es and preliudnaq ConcIuaions
Clraoges in tidal valume play a key roIe in the geamorphoLogica1 history
of the South-West Netherlands. The well documented changes of the
Oosterschelde ovet the laet 100 reaxe cleaely illustrate the general
r=ZSgOBSe of mdy estuaries to an increase of tidal volume:
- the basin as a whole ahovs a tehdency of arcsion: at the s a time
the connected ebb tide1 delta is growing (Fig. 3);
- morphological differences within the basin are accentuated; channels
deepen, sandy shoals expand (Fig. 2 and 3). In general this response
might be visualized as given in Figure 48.
The history of the Eelinium shows the general response to an opposite
trend in tidal volume: the basin starts silting up. Unfortupately, in
contrast to the Oasterschelde, detailed infomatlon 04 the historic
development of iieliniwn's ebb tidal delta or of single channels and
sandy shoals is lacking. Nevertheless, in negative aualogg to the
Oosterschelde case, rhe effects of a dscreaae of tlldal wlww nilght be
stated as:
- the basin as a whole shows s tendency of sedbentatia4; the
connmted ebb tidal delta is erodlllg;