Optimization of Countermeasures to Stable and Protect Navigation Channels in Dinh An Estuary and Coastal of Tra Vinh Province, Vietnam

The new navigation channel for large vessels entering the Hau River through the Kenh Tat and Quan Chanh Bo channels was announced in January 2016. The navigation channel route through Dinh An estuary in Soc Trang province to Can Tho port was not deeply concerned by the agency because of the sedimentation phenomenon, which was very serious and complicated. Only small vessels of 1,000-2,000 DWT can pass through the Dinh An estuary navigation channel, whereas large vessels pass through the Kenh Tat and Quan Chanh Bo channels. However, the new navigation channel entering the Hau River is also seriously sedimented, especially in the Cua Dai An area, where the tributary route starts from the Hau River through the Quan Chanh Bo channel and the estuary area in the Duyen Hai harbor basin. These are two important bottlenecks that drastically reduce the throughput capacity of this new navigation channel. This paper proposed five options for the spatial arrangement of works to stabilize and protect the channel through the Dinh An estuary. A MIKE 21 couple mode was used to simulate hydrodynamic and sediment transport in the study area, and the impact of these options on the characteristics, including water level, flow velocity, and bottom topographic change, was analyzed and evaluated. Based on these results, an optimal solution was suggested.