Coastal Processes and Landforms

1. Depositional Featuresf) EstuariesWhat are estuaries?Estuaries are semi-enclosed bodies of water where fresh water fromrivers or streams mingles with the salt water of the ocean. Estuaries canbe found in flat river deltas or steep-sided coastal fiords. They may havedifferent components, such as tidal mud flats, lagoons, salt marshes andsand dunes. Although estuaries make up only 3% of the coastline in BC,they are used by approximately 80% of all wildlife species on the coast.