Modelling Salinity Propagation in Cikarang Bekasi Laut Channel, Bekasi Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia.

An inland waterway is to be constructed in an existing channel in West Java, Indonesia. The change of salinity in a river due to capital dredging was investigated using a finite element modelling system. The location of the research was the Cikarang Bekasi Laut (CBL) channel, Bekasi Regency, West Java, Indonesia. This study aimed to simulate salinity propagation in the CBL channel before and after capital dredging. Salinity modelling was carried out using Surface-water Modelling System (SMS) software. Field surveys of the topography, bathymetry, current velocity, and water level were conducted to develop the model. The model's results were validated with the current velocity and water level measured in the field. The field and model results agreed well with each other. The current and salinity results showed that the trends were correlated with river discharges. After capital dredging, the salinity in the CBL channel increased. Mitigation was carried out by constructing a check dam, which could reduce the average salinity in the upstream region by up to 0.05 ppt during the wet season and up to 0.12 ppt during the dry season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]