Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF COASTAL RESEARCH, cilt.113, ss.604-608, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
The escalating pressures on the sustainable utilization of surface water resources have become more
pronounced, driven by a confluence of factors, including rapid population growth, escalating consumption
patterns, the impacts of global warming, climate changes, and fluctuations in water levels. Addressing these
challenges necessitates the establishment of robust and effective water management systems. In alignment
with the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD), the development of comprehensive river basin
management plans takes center stage to safeguard water resources and ensure their sustainable use. A pivotal
stride in implementing this Directive within our country involves the meticulous determination of typologies
and the digitization of transitional water bodies. This study focuses on the application of advanced modeling
methodologies to delineate the geographical boundaries and types of coastal and transitional water bodies in
Trkiye, guided by System B of the Water Framework Directive. Leveraging the three-dimensional
hydrodynamic, transport, and water Tuality model, H<DROTAM-D, developed for coastal areas with
geographic information system and cloud computing support, alongside the Digital Elevation Model (DEM),
our research explores the typologies and water bodies of coastal and transitional waters. Fethiye Bay is
presented as a case study on the Mediterranean Sea coast of Türkiye. We identified seven rivers discharging
into the Bay using data from the European Environment Agency
s Waterbase-rivers. The modeling efforts
delved into long-term estuarine hydrodynamics, analyzing coastal currents and water level changes attributed
to wind, wave, tide, and density fluctuations. Through these studies, we determined the boundaries of fresh
and coastal water within transitional water bodies. Notably, five out of the seven rivers exhibited
characteristics indicative of transitional waters. Key factors such as latitude-longitude, surface area, and wave
exposure were identified as crucial typology parameters. All identified transitional water bodies were
classified as small surface area types, with the largest belonging to the Murt River at 6.96 ha. Wave exposure
typology classes were established based on long-term wind and wave climate modeling, revealing the
prevalence of the moderately sheltered type, constituting 42% of Fethiye Bay. This study underscores the
significance of modeling studies as indispensable tools for effective water resource management.