Salt Water Intrusion, Calcasieu River, Louisiana and Connecting Waterways: Model Investigation
Abstract
Hydraulic model investigations were conducted to determine the effects of past and proposed deepenings of the Calcasieu River channel below Lake Charles, Louisiana, upon the intrusion of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico into the Calcasieu River and connecting waterways. A fixed-bed model constructed to scale ratios of 1:1000 horizontally and 1:50 vertically was used for the investigation. The results of the model investigation indicated that the deepening of the river channel to 30 ft in 1940-41 caused large increases in salinity in the Calcasieu River and the Calcasieu River-Mermentau River section of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The study also indicated that the proposed deepening of the existing 30-ft channel to a 34-ft depth would cause further general increases in salinity in the Calcasieu River and the Intracoastal Waterway, particularly during periods of net eastward flow in the latter; however, during periods of net westward flow or reversing tidal flow in the Intracoastal Waterway, such channel deepening would have negligible effect on salinity intrusion therein.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1950
- Accession Number
- ADA637734