SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT RESPONSE TO PULSES IN RIVER FLOW AND SEMIDIURNAL AND FORTNIGHTLY TIDAL VARIATIONS IN A MESOTIDAL ESTUARY

The effects of the tidal regime and high river flows on the suspended sediment concentration field have been separated and the retention time of fluvial sediment has been determined. The study was carried out in the upper Sado estuary, Portugal, and included surveys at high and low tide in different semidiurnal tide ranges every month for 1 year, including contrasting freshwater discharge. DDT and its metabolites (DDD and DDE) were determined in the suspended sediment and in the whole soft tissues of oysters, and they have been used as tracers of the derived flood material in the upper estuary. The tide is responsible for the relatively slow relaxation time following a winter runoff event.