Sedimentation rhythms and hydrodynamics in two engineered environments in an open coast managed realignment site

- Sedimentation rhythms at a major managed realignment site are examined.
- Different sedimentation patterns were found at two heavily engineered sites.
- Freshwater input and site design controlled the supply and transfer of sediment.
- Understanding of sedimentation processes is required to enhance site design.

Managed Realignment (MR) schemes are considered by many coastal managers and engineers to be a preferable method of coastal flood defence and compensating for habitat loss, by creating new areas of intertidal saltmarsh and mudflat habitat. Monitoring of MR sites has tended to focus on short term ecological factors, resulting in a shortage of high frequency, high resolution long term measurements of the evolution of the sediment erosion, transportation, deposition and consolidation cycle (ETDC) in newly breached sites. This is particularly true of analysis of the formation and preservation of sedimentary rhythmites and evaluations of sedimentation rates (and their variability) in newly inundated intertidal environments. This study provides an evaluation of sedimentation rhythms and hydrodynamics from two contrasting sites within the Medmerry Managed Realignment scheme, the largest open coast realignment in Europe (at the time of site inundation). Bed sediment altimeter data highlighted different sedimentation patterns at the two sites; near constant deposition of sediment occurred near the breach resulting in 15.2 cm of sediment being accreted over the one year monitoring period, whereas periodic accretion and erosion of sediment occurred inland leading to 2.7 cm of net accretion. Differences in the relationship between suspended sediment concentrations and site hydrodynamics were observed on a semi-diurnal to annual scale. This study highlights the need for further consideration of the sedimentation processes in MR schemes in order to enhance the design and construction of these sites. Advancements in the understanding of these processes will increase the success of MR schemes in terms of the evolution of the sediment regime and the ecosystem services provided, particularly as they are more widely accepted as a form of coastal flood defence and intertidal habitat creation method.