Santa Cruz Harbor Shoaling Study, Santa Cruz Harbor, California.
Abstract
This study was made to define the littoral processes and resultant shoaling mechanism of Santa Cruz Harbor entrance channel and to develop and evaluate alternative methods of mitigating the shoaling effects. During the winter months, the Santa Cruz Harbor entrance channel has shoaled almost completely since its construction in 1962. The channel was maintained by annual dredging in the late winter or early spring until 1977 when the dredging procedure was changed. The study involved analysis of shoaling mechanisms and dredging procedures. A new two-year interim dredging procedure was developed for the 1977 through 1979 winter seasons. The concept was to dredge the channel periodically in phases each winter and thereby keep the harbor open to navigation most of the time. A considerable quantity of littoral drift is believed to bypass the harbor offshore by natural processes. This quantity is estimated to range from 175,000 cubic yards per year to 375,000 cubic yards per year, varying with the wave climate and dredging procedures. Sixteen alternative solutions that could mitigate channel shoaling were developed and analyzed. They were classified into bypassing, channel-maintenance and structural categories.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA060205