A Wet/Dry Point Treatment Method of FVCOM, Part II: Application to the Okatee/Colleton River in South Carolina

The wet/dry point treatment method of FVCOM was applied to simulate the tide-induced flooding/drying process in estuarine–tidal-creek–saltmarsh complex Okatee/Colleton River Estuary, South Carolina. simulation results were compared with observed currents at three mooring sites and flooded areas from remote-sensing hypsometric measurements, demonstrating that can robustly reproduce tidal residual river flooding onto intertidal saltmarsh. simulated flow field reveals Estuary is characterized by multiple eddies. Driven periodic forcing, this estuarine system features a chaotic water transport process. Numerous eddies around barrier Colleton likely enhance exchange between outer Broad River. A sensitivity study speed slope inter-tidal zone suggests saltmarsh bathymetry considerably influences elevation near low slack but not on maximum coverage area high water.