Sedimentation in the Paraná Lower Delta Streams

Abstract

The sedimentation of the waterways that make up the channel network of the Lower Delta of the Paraná River is a phenomenon that affects the activities of those who live and work in the Delta. Due to the lack of systematic dredging, it has become increasingly common to encounter difficulties navigating certain waterways during low water scenarios. Based on bathymetric, hydrometric, and sedimentological information collected in situ, a morphodynamic model of a Delta waterway is developed to study the main factors contributing to the accretion of these channels. Among the factors to be examined are the boundary conditions, specifically the tide levels entering through the ends of the channel, the hydrological conditions of the Paraná River, the characteristics of the sediment, and an approach to the effect of aquatic vegetation on the roughness of the channel. The aim is to provide insight into the hydro-sedimentological behavior of the current bathymetric condition of the waterway, as well as the hydrodynamic circumstances that facilitated its development.