Abstract
This paper presents an overview of a study on salinity intrusion through shiplocks that are located at a saltwater and freshwater interface, and the possible measures that can be taken to reduce this salinity transport. The main focus of the study was to test the effectiveness of several measures against salt intrusion through a shiplock. For this reason a series of field experiments was conducted in the Stevin shiplock in the Afsluitdijk, near Den Oever, the Netherlands, in between the Wadden Sea and the IJsselmeer. The measures tested include an air curtain at both ends of the shiplocks, alone and in combination with a water jet, as well as a rigged sill to reduce the effective depth, and flushing of the lock with fresh water. A new type of air curtain with air injectors was designed and built for this study. Prior to the field experiments, a series of laboratory scale experiments and computer simulations of lock‐exchange flow were conducted to gain insight into the salinity transport process and to support the design of the field study. The study has shown that a significant reduction of salinity intrusion can be attained by using a combination of measures. These findings are relevant for shiplocks located in a saline–freshwater transition zone for which salinity intrusion should be reduced as much as possible. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.