An assessment of the effects of bathymetric changes associated with sand and gravel mining on tidal circulation in the lower bay of New York harbor

Abstract

from the abstract, "Present sand and gravel mining operations within the Lower Bay of New York Harbor are restricted to the east bank of Ambrose Channel and to the vicinity of Chapel Hill North Channel because of the concern than mining in other areas might adversely affect water quality and shore erosion. As part of an evaluation of environmental affects associated with expanded sand and gravel mining we have simulated numerically tidal circulation patterns and tidal elevations in Lower Bay for a number of altered bathyrnetries corresponding to hypothetical mining operations. Results suggest that tidal currents will decelerate over the mined region and accelerate outside of them, and that the tidal stream will be deflected towards the region. It is also clear that the mining near the mouth of the Bay could increase tidal range along Staten Island substantially ."