The presented study reports on numerical simulations of flows in tidal channels near Rose Dhu Island, GA, which is used to identify hotspots of hydrokinetic energy and to assess the tidal stream energy potential at this site. The numerical simulations are complemented with field measurements of local current velocities and water surface heights, which are used to validate the simulations. Both velocity distributions and water surface heights as predicted by the numerical model are in good agreement with observed data. The simulations reveal a tidal asymmetry in the encompassing Ogeechee estuary with the ebb tide currents dominating over the flood tide ones. The model is able to successfully predict the distribution of discharge into the smaller creeks around Rose Dhu Island and thereby capturing the location of local hotspots of hydrokinetic energy. It is found that local hotspots do exist near the island, and the analysis suggests the maximum available annual power of 4.75 MW, with a peak estimated extraction surpassing 4 KW during Spring tides.
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