Key E-2.  Key to Estuaries.


The following types should encompass most of the estuaries located in the United States. There may be estuaries that do not fit within this classification. Such types should be brought to the attention of the author.

1. Estuary is surrounded by rocky headlands and shores.........2

  1. Estuary is not surrounded by rocky headlands and shores.        4
  2. Deep embayment cut by glaciers, with an underwater sill at front end, restricting circulation (e.g., Puget Sound).................................................................................................Fjord Estuary 2. Not so, either open or semi-enclosed.         …… 3


  1. Protected by islands...................................Island Protected Rocky Headland Bay Estuary

3. Not protected by islands.........................................................Rocky Headland Bay Estuary


Modifiers: Open or Semi-enclosed


  1. Estuary is tectonically formed (e.g., San Franciso Bay), including volcanic activity..................................................................................................................Tectonic Estuary


Modifiers: Fault-formed and Volcanic-formed


  1. Estuary is not tectonically formed or is formed by volcanic activity.        5
  2. Estuary is river-dominated with a delta formed at the mouth of the river where it enters the sea (e.g., Mississippi River Delta).......................................................River-dominated Estuary 

5. Estuary is not river-dominated.          6

  1. Estuary is a drowned river valley (e.g., Chesapeake Bay)........Drowned River Valley Estuary

Modifiers: Open Bay, River Channel, and Semi-enclosed Bay

6. Estuary is not a drowned river valley……………………………………………………………………..7

7. Estuary formed behind and is protected by sandy barrier islands or barrier beaches (spits).........................................................................................................Bar-built Estuary

Modifiers: Coastal Pond (oligohaline to saline) and Hypersaline Lagoon (hypersaline)

  1. Estuary is not behind sandy barrier islands or beaches………………………………………………….8


  1. Estuary is protected by reefs or other islands................................Island Protected Estuary

8. Estuary is an open or semi-enclosed embayment...............................Shoreline Bay Estuary


Modifiers for all estuarine waterbodies: Inlet (includes any ebb- or flood- deltas that are completed submerged), Stabilized Inlet, Shoal (shallow water area), Submerged vegetation (e.g., eelgrass or turtle-grass) or Floating vegetation (e.g., macroalgae such as kelp beds).


Created with the Personal Edition of HelpNDoc: Full-featured EPub generator