salt marsh channels

"Salt marshes generally include channels, called tidal creeks, that fill and empty with the tides. These meandering creeks can create a complex network of channels across a salt marsh ( fig. 3.22 ). Fluctuating tides move water up and down these channels, or tidal creeks, once or twice each day, gradually sculpting the salt marsh into a gently undulating landscape ( fig. 3.23 ). Tidal creeks are generally bordered by natural levees. Beyond the levees are marsh flats, including small basins called salt pans that periodically collect water that eventually evaporates, leaving a layer of salt. This entire landscape is flooded during the highest tides and drains during the lowest tides."

Ecology - Concepts and Applications, 7th Edition - Manuel C Molles Jr., McGraw-Hill Education, 2016