Monitoring and modeling of phase-A1 for A1-Khiran Pearl City lagoon system, South of Kuwait

The Khiran area south of Kuwait is currently being developed and the existing lagoon system is being expanded. The proposed development will be completed over five phases resulting in a complex lagoon system. The lagoons will depend on the tidal inflow from several openings along the Gulf for water flushing. It is thus essential to properly design such lagoons to avoid any water quality related problems. This paper provides hydrodynamic data collected before and after the completion of Phase A1. The DIVAST finite difference model and the RMA finite element package were used to model the hydrodynamics and the flushing of the lagoons. The models were validated using the measured data for the pre- and post-construction stages. The models showed that the flushing of the existing lagoons was not affected by the construction activities. The landward end of the dredged lagoons however showed reduced flushing as compared to the existing lagoons. The models used in this study will be reliable tools for the design of future phases of the project