Storm and Entrainment Effects on Tributary Sediment Loads

Abstract

A two‐dimensional, multiclass‐size sediment transport model with source/sink terms for erosion and deposition, and a sediment bed model were developed and applied to Sandusky Bay, Ohio to study the transport of fine sand, silt, and clay through the bay for June 1 to June 30, 1981. During this period, a flood carried high sediment loads from the Sandusky River to the bay. The model's simulation showed that 79.3% of the flood's sediment loads were deposited in the upper bay. Areas of net deposition and erosion compare favorably to other published results. This study showed that the dominant sediment size transported to Lake Erie is clay, and the sediment load to Lake Erie is significantly different from that measured at the U.S. Geological Survey gage at Fremont, Ohio, located upstream of the bay. Weaknesses in state‐of‐the‐art sediment transport modeling and field measurements are discussed.