A model study evaluates sediment transport in a geomorphic channel proposed
for restoration and flood damage reduction of an 11-km tidally influenced
reach of the Napa River located in California. The model study employs the
unsteady quasi-2D hydrodynamic and sediment transport model MIKE 11, the si
mplified marsh plain accretion model MARSH 98, and the Rouse equation to pr
edict annual average morphological changes of the geomorphic channel. The a
dopted modeling approach allows for the simulation of salient sediment tran
sport processes in a river estuary, including lateral and vertical sorting
of sediments, and local flushing of fine cohesive and noncohesive sediments
during flooding. Accretion rates, particularly within the marsh plain terr
ace of the multistage channel, are found to be within acceptable limits for
project maintenance and ecosystem restoration purposes. This enhanced 1D m
odeling approach may offer a viable and cost-effective alternative compared
to fully 2D and 3D models, with relatively less model set-up and run-time
requirements.