Tidal creek

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Creek (tidal)
)
Aerial photo of North Sea, tidal channels between the islands of Nigehörn (left) and Scharhörn (right)

A tidal creek or tidal channel is a narrow

biota associated with tidal creeks which are often specialised to such zones. Nutrients and organic matter are delivered downstream to habitats normally lacking these, while the creeks also provide access to inland habitat for salt-water organisms.[2]

Aerial photo of North Sea, tidal inlets from the Wadden Sea
on Scharhörn

Terminology

A "creek" normally refers to a tidal water channel in

Bow Creek in its tidal section. In parts of southwest England and Wales, the term "pill" is used,[5] and is found in placenames such as Huntspill
.

A narrow channel between islands in the

mangroves
. Creeks are found dispersed all along the Indian coast.

A "tidal course" is the more general term for any elongated indentation or valley in a wetland originated by tidal processes along which water flows pumped by tidal influence. It includes a series of indentations within a wide spectrum of sizes (width, length, and depth) and with at least two levels of inundation. Subtypes are tidal rills, tidal grooves, tidal gullies, that normally do not contain water even during neap low tide, and tidal creeks and tidal channels, that have water permanently. A tidal course creates a system for its ecosystem that circulates water, sediments, organic matter, nutrient, and pollutants.[6] A tidal course is essential to the surrounding flora and fauna because they provide protection, nutrients, a place to reproduce, and a habitat for juvenile species before they go into the ocean.[7]

Development

Whereas areas of coastline that experience high wave activity are usually characterized by

estuarine
.

As they come closer to shore, they often become very sinuous, due to the flatness of the land. In addition to draining upland

spring tide, large areas are covered with water. This huge volume of water retreats at the start of the ebb tide in a surge. Later on during the ebb tide, water remains only in the creeks and the current is mainly a river (drainage) current and not tidal. Tidal creeks deposit sediment in a process called accretion, during the flood tide, which can maintain a flat plain by counteracting sea level rise or land subsidence
. High tidal flow will maintain channels, while slower flow velocity can lead to closure of tidal creeks as they become clogged with sediment. Well-developed wetlands have sharp-banked tidal creeks, with vegetation stabilizing the sides of the creeks. Such tidal creeks will also be connected in networks: a multitude of smaller creeks called first-order creeks will feed into large ones, creating complex patterns of drainage.

Human impact

Especially in areas prone to compaction or subsidence - like peat wetlands - human use of tidal creek flow can lead to the expansion of the creeks. Natural subsidence is compounded by anthropogenic sediment compaction, lowering the land level. Deforestation and other human-development-related processes can destabilize the banks of creeks and increase the amount of sediment in them. This slows the velocity of the water, which means that instead of cutting deeper channels, the water flows gently farther inland in shallow channels.[8] Human development in tidal areas often results in diking, which changes the course of the tidal creeks and the salinity of the tidal area into freshwater.[9]

Restoration of tidal wetlands begins with restoration of the creek systems, which determine the shape of the land, the nutrient and salinity levels, and the type of vegetation and animal communities in a wetland.[9][10][11]

Examples

There are thousands of examples of tidal creeks throughout the world. A few specific ones are:

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b "Creek" is used in the names of tidal creeks on the Florida mainland such as Snapper Creek, Arch Creek and Frog Creek[4] and in the Florida Keys in the names of tidal channels such as Jewfish Creek, Snake Creek and Caesar Creek.

References

  1. , retrieved 2021-04-02
  2. ^ Zedler, Joy B., ed. (2001). "Hydrology and Substrate". Handbook for Restoring Tidal Wetlands. CRC Press.
  3. ^ "About the Spruce Creek Watershed". Archived from the original on 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  4. ^ "Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve -DEP-staff-Randy-Runnels-Frog-Creek | Florida Department of Environmental Protection". floridadep.gov. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  5. ^ The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. II (P–Z). Oxford University Press. 1971. p. 2174.
  6. ^ Perillo, Gerardo. "TIDAL COURSES: CLASSIFICATION, ORIGIN AND FUNCTIONALITY" (PDF). Elsevier.
  7. ^ Perillo, Gerardo. "TIDAL COURSES: CLASSIFICATION, ORIGIN AND FUNCTIONALITY" (PDF). Elsevier.
  8. ISSN 0091-7613
    .
  9. ^ .
  10. .
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