ESTUARIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

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KEURBOOMS RIVER ESTUARY: Hydrodynamics and mouth dynamics

	Hydrodynamics



	Mouth dynamics
	The mouth is approximately 200m wide during high spring tide and attains depths of 4,5m below mean sea level at the ebb-dominated north-easterly section. According to Reddering (1981), the depth at the flood-dominated south-westerly section is 2,5m below mean sea level. This makes the estuary mouth an effective permanent tidal inlet and forms a highly dynamic zone which influences the hydraulics of the entire lower estuary. The surface area of the combined Keurbooms and Bitou Estuaries is 2,7km's. ^{(Ref 1)}