Estuaries are important coastal features, world-wide.
Uses of these coastal systems present potentially conflicting demands, often requiring management based on extensive monitoring. One cost-effective alternative to extensive monitoring is modeling. Some monitoring is still required to calibrate the models, define forcing functions and boundary conditions and skill assess the model's usefulness, but the resulting savings over the cost of a complete monitoring program should be significant. Louisiana's bar-built estuaries are broad and shallow with mean depths of only a meter or two. Tidal currents and local wind have significant impacts on these estuaries.