Figures 4-49 and 4-50 show the east bank of Goldsmith Inlet on 8 October
2002 during rising spring tide. Presently, the east bank of the inlet appears to be
experiencing erosion. Erosion of the wetland perimeter is evident in Figure 4-49,
and a protective bank of fine-grained sediment is seen in Figure 4-50. Figure 4-
51 shows the east bank on 20 February 2004 at high tide. The wetlands are
inundated, and the protective bank of sediment shows erosion and undercutting.
The observed inundation may be related to increased elevation associated with
channel infilling that began in the mid-1990s.
Summary of morphology change at Goldsmith Inlet
Modifications introduced to Goldsmith Inlet have produced a dynamic
morphological response throughout the inlet. The response can be characterized
by development of new features and distinct periods of sedimentation patterns.
Table 4-6 summarizes the major aspects of interpreted morphology change from
1955 to the present and synopsizes discussion of change at the inlet entrance,
within the channel, and at the location of the present-day flood shoal (inlet exit).
In summary, the west accretion fillet reached the seaward tip of the jetty prior
to 6 April 1976 (Figure 4-42f), (by 1972, according to Greenman-Pederson
(1981)), and it is assumed that sediment accretion rates along the east side of the
jetty and within Goldsmith Inlet increased around this time. Construction of the
jetty apparently stabilized the inlet for 17 years by blocking eastward-moving
material, because the first dredging of record occurred in 1977. Subsequently,
Goldsmith Inlet was dredged seven times until 1990, and several times in the
early 1990s. Local sources have indicated that the inlet has not been dredged in
recent years. The inlet apparently maintained a degree of stability from the mid-
1990s to 2002.
Figure 4-49. Goldsmith Inlet, east bank wetlands, during current measurement,
8 October 2002
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Chapter 4 Morphology Change, and Channel Shoaling and Migration
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