A behavior-oriented formula is improved to calculate the annual coastal bathymetry evolution caused by a reclamation work. This formula is based on a simple hypothesis that, on the time scale of years, the bathymetry evolution is closely related to the change of tidal current field due to the reclamation work. A new coefficient,named the erosion reduction coefficient, is introduced to extend the original formula for applications in calculating bed erosion. A simplified relationship between the annual variation of the siltation/erosion rate and the water depth is introduced to more realistically represent the long-term process of the bathymetry evolution.The improved formula is applied to calculate the bathymetry evolution in 3 a following a reclamation project in the Xiaomiaohong Tidal Channel in Jiangsu coast in China. The results compare well with measurements and those obtained from a process-based numerical model, demonstrating the capability of the improved behaviororiented formula in reproducing the impact of the reclamation project on the local bathymetry evolution. A behavior-oriented formula is improved to calculate the annual coastal bathymetry evolution caused by a reclamation work. This formula is based on a simple hypothesis that, on the time scale of years, the bathymetry evolution is closely related to the change of tidal current field due to the reclamation work. A new coefficient, named the erosion reduction coefficient, is introduced to extend the original formula for applications in calculating bed erosion. A simplified relationship between the annual variation of the siltation / erosion rate and the water depth is introduced to more realistically represent the long-term process of the bathymetry evolution. The improved formula is applied to calculate the bathymetry evolution in 3 a following a reclamation project in the Xiaomiaohong Tidal Channel in Jiangsu coast in China. The results compare well with measurements and those from a process-based numerical model, demonstrating the capability of the improved behavior oriented formul a in reproducing the impact of the reclamation project on the local bathymetry evolution.