14. (Concluded).
This relationship may be used to define equilibrium inlets that meet the assumptions used in its derivation,
has a sinusoidal bay tide, or nearly so, and a channel cross-sectional area that does not change significantly during
the tidal cycle. This was noted from how well the laboratory data (which represent true equilibrium inlets) were
equivalent to the calculated areas of this equation. The relationship could be applied to field data to evaluate data
points that do not define an equilibrium relationship between minimum cross-sectional area and tidal prism. These
filtered data may then be used to define new, more accurate, tidal prism versus equilibrium area relationships among
all sizes of inlets, from laboratory to large field inlets.
Other observations indicated equilibrium area channels for tide-only conditions retained their original length and
widened and deepened upon approaching equilibrium cross-sectional area. Equilibrium area channels following
tide-plus-wave conditions migrated bayward as they approached equilibrium and shortened in length.