Author(s): Kevin Sydor; Marie-Helene Briand; Stephane Lorrain; Suzanne Leclair; Tariq Aziz; Karen Ng
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Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: The Nelson River, the largest contributor of freshwater inflows to Hudson Bay, is regulated for hydroelectric generation downstream of Lake Winnipeg. The Nelson River mouth was until recently mostly unexplored, due to the remote location, difficult navigation conditions, a much shorter open-water season compared to southern rivers, and a harsh regional climate. Oceanographic surveys of the Nelson River estuary were carried out to monitor the existing physical environment and prevailing oceanographic processes. The approach used for the monitoring programme was specifically designed to extract essential information required to describe the physical environment of this large and complex estuary. Numerical modeling of the estuary is also considered to complete the description of the estuary and explore the effects of varying river flows, tidal and weather conditions. The information collected over four open-water seasons and a winter period reveals a relatively complex environment with three distinct zones each offering particular dynamics. These physical processes are driven by strong opposing marine and fluvial forces.
Year: 2009