Houston channel, Galveston Bay, Texas: Report 1 hydraulic and salinity verification

THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL MODEL IS A FIXED-BED MODEL CONSTRUCTED TO LINEAR SCALE RATIOS OF 1:600 HORIZONTALLY AND 1:60 VERTICALLY. IT IS USED TO REPRODUCE A PORTION OF THE GULF OF MEXICO ADJACENT TO THE GALVESTON HARBOR ENTRANCE, THE GALVESTON BAY COMPLEX, INCLUDING TRINITY BAY IN ITS ENTIRETY, EAST BAY, A PORTION OF WEST BAY, THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL TO ITS UPSTREAM BOUNDARY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND BUFFALO BAYOU FROM THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL TURNING BASIN TO THE CONFLUENCE OF WHITE OAK BAYOU. THE MODEL IS EQUIPPED WITH NECESSARY APPURTENANCES FOR THE ACCURATE REPRODUCTION AND MEASUREMENT OF TIDES, TIDAL CURRENTS, SALINITY INTRUSION, FRESHWATER INFLOW, DENSITY EFFECTS, SHOALING, AND OTHER IMPORTANT PROTOTYPE PHENOMENA. THE PURPOSE OF THE MODEL IS TO DETERMINE IF THE COST OF MAINTENANCE DREDGING CAN BE REDUCED BY PROPOSED PLANS INVOLVING CHANNEL REALIGNMENTS, PARTIAL OR COMPLETE DIKING OF CONNECTING BAYS, SEDIMENT TRAPS, DIKES IN GALVESTON BAY, LOCAL CONTRACTIONS, ENLARGEMENTS, AND OTHER REMEDIAL MEASURES. MODEL VERIFICATION TESTS WERE CONDUCTED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE MODEL HYDRAULIC AND SALINITY REGIMENS WERE IN SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT WITH THOSE OF THE PROTOTYPE. THE AGREEMENTS ATTAINED ARE SATISFACTORY; THE MODEL CAN BE USED TO PREDICT BEHAVIOR OF THE PROTOTYPE. (KNAPP-USGS)