HYDRAULIC CONTROLS ON TIDAL WETLANDS

Abstract

Tidal wetlands have long been identified as critical habitats for many species of fish, birds, and other wildlife and are protected areas in many states. For these reasons, coastal projects which impact or destroy wetland areas are difficult to permit and often require substantial mitigation. An hydraulic design procedure is presented for the creation or improvement of wetlands based on flooding duration — the percentage of time an area is inundated by tidal waters. This is followed by a sample application of the procedure to a recent mitigation project in Savannah, Georgia.