Successions of inclined heterolithic stratification (IHS) within the McMurray Formation, northeastern Alberta, comprise stacked, genetic units averaging 6 to 10 m in thickness. Within the McMurray Type Section, these units are interpreted to represent the growth stages of a large, meandering channel deposited within the middle estuary.

Characterization of several modern, tidally-influenced depositional systems yielded the following generalizations: (1) a tripartite zonation of tidally-influenced systems is identifiable; (2) channel abandonments are rare within tide-dominated channel reaches; (3) large meander scroll bars form in systems with comparatively high fluvial input; and (4) tidally-influenced channels maintain lower sinuosity values than their fluvial counterparts.