Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Response To Freshwater Inflow In The Rappahannock Estuary, Virginia : Operation Hiflo '78, Maynard M. Nichols, L. Eugene Cronin, William B. Cronin, M. Grant Gross, Bruce W. Nelson, Jack W. Pierce, Robert E. Ulanowicz

Reports

More sediment, nutrients and pollutants are discharged into an estuary during a few days of flood inflow than during many months or years of average inflow (Meade, 1972; Schubel, 1977), but few observations document the sedimentary response of an estuary to high freshwater inflow. Such inflows are usually unexpected and estuarine water charact~ristics change too rapidly to permit systematic measurements. Moreover, the expenditure of effort and number of sampling vessels required on short notice is beyond the resources of a single research group or institute. Yet, freshwater inflow observations are a key to improving water quality; especially to ameliorate the …