Impacts of Khozeini Canal Reopening on General Current Pattern in Gorgan Bay (South East of the Caspian Sea)

Khozeini canal is the second permanent connection way of Gorgan Bay with the Caspian Sea which has been blocked as a result of water level decreases and sedimentation in recent years.
In this investigation, 2D modeling results of current pattern using MIKE 21 FM model for investigating the impacts of Khozeini canal reopening on the general current pattern in Gorgan bay under 24 different scenarios were compared. Modeling was implemented on two types of unstructured meshes for 5 hours, 50 minutes and with 30 seconds time steps. In all modelings, the mean annual precipitation, evaporation and 13 rivers input to the bay as well as the effect of dominant eastern wind with 6 different speeds were used. The effects of components of the wave radiation induced by dominant wind were included by implementation of the wave model of MIKE 21 NSW in the 6 distinct considered in the hydrodynamic model of MIKE 21 FM. In order to include boundary conditions at the open boundaries, the mean maximum discharges of inlet and outlet in the Ashoradeh-Bandartorkaman spans and Khozeini canal were used.
Simulation results represented that the current pattern in Gorgan Bay is influenced by the inlet and outlet discharges at the spans of Ashoradeh-Bandartorkaman and prevailing wind.
Reopening of the Khozeini canal has no significant effect on the general circulation current pattern of the bay and only in areas very close to the canal changes the local current pattern to be North-South. In stormy times, the maximum current velocity of 0.23 meters per second was observed in areas close to the canal.