A NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE EX-ROFI OF THE COLORADO RIVER

The freshwater discharge of the Colorado River into the Gulf of Califo rnia has been reduced to negligible quantities since the construction of the Hoover Dam in 1935. These radical anthropogenic changes in the hydrography of the Colorado River Delta had striking repercussions on both physical and biological processes. Using historical river dischar ge data, the changes in the flow dynamics and hydrographic patterns be fore and after the drastic freshwater reduction are studied numericall y, using a three-dimensional nonlinear shelf model. The results are ap plied to assess the environmental impact of the reduction of river dis charge on the area. Satellite imagery is also used to compare our resu lts with observed fronts. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.