Presentation Abstract
Sea level rise and sedimentation have both been documented to contribute to future flooding in the densely developed Lower Puyallup River valley. However, their impacts have only been analyzed in isolation. In the Lower Puyallup River, these processes will interact. As sea level rises, the salt wedge, which is often flushed from leveed river channel, will be increasingly located in the leveed river channel, exacerbating sedimentation issues. Since the reach is no longer dredged, this sedimentation will decrease conveyance and increase the risk of the flooding over time. The interactions of the salt wedge and sedimentation will be nonlinear and could easily compromise already-vulnerable infrastructure. Recent development patterns have only increased the need for understanding these interactions. Although the talk will not presume answers to these fundamental questions, it will raise awareness of the fundamental scientific unknowns about the interactions of these two important phenomena.
Session Title
Estuarine Climate Change Adaptation
Keywords
Sea level rise, Puyallup, Sediment, Adaptation
Conference Track
SSE5: Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation, and Research
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE5-255
Start Date
6-4-2018 10:30 AM
End Date
6-4-2018 10:45 AM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
River sediments--Washington (State)--Puyallup River; Sea level--Puyallup River (Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Puyallup River (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Potential interactions of sea level rise and sedimentation in the lower Puyallup River
Sea level rise and sedimentation have both been documented to contribute to future flooding in the densely developed Lower Puyallup River valley. However, their impacts have only been analyzed in isolation. In the Lower Puyallup River, these processes will interact. As sea level rises, the salt wedge, which is often flushed from leveed river channel, will be increasingly located in the leveed river channel, exacerbating sedimentation issues. Since the reach is no longer dredged, this sedimentation will decrease conveyance and increase the risk of the flooding over time. The interactions of the salt wedge and sedimentation will be nonlinear and could easily compromise already-vulnerable infrastructure. Recent development patterns have only increased the need for understanding these interactions. Although the talk will not presume answers to these fundamental questions, it will raise awareness of the fundamental scientific unknowns about the interactions of these two important phenomena.
