SLAMM Forum

General Category => Model Formulation & Parameters => Topic started by: epihua on April 08, 2013, 06:42:38 PM

Title: Salt Pond
Post by: epihua on April 08, 2013, 06:42:38 PM
Hi,

I am wondering which land-cover category should be used to describe salt ponds in the San Francisco Bay, as they have no vegetation cover and their water depth is not directed influenced by tide.

Thanks,

Stephen 
Title: Re: Salt Pond
Post by: Jonathan S. Clough on April 09, 2013, 10:12:27 AM
We used impounded tidal flats as shown below:

http://www.warrenpinnacle.com/prof/SLAMM/USFWS/SLAMM_Don_Edwards.pdf

Don Edwards NWR is comprised mostly of impounded salt ponds or salt evaporators. As SLAMM does not have a wetland classification specifically for salt ponds, these areas were designated as impounded tidal flats. This designation makes some sense within the conceptual model considering that salt ponds are generally non-vegetated and sub-tidal. These "impounded tidal flats" are assumed to be protected until their elevations falls two meters below mean tide level at which point they are assumed to convert to estuarine open water.
Title: Re: Salt Pond
Post by: epihua on April 09, 2013, 01:43:13 PM
Thanks so much. The report is very helpful! Did you apply homogeneous 2-m dikes for all salt ponds for the entire simulation period in this study?



Title: Re: Salt Pond
Post by: Jonathan S. Clough on April 09, 2013, 01:43:44 PM
Yes.