Study of Navigation Channel Feasibility, Willapa Bay, Washington
Abstract
The navigation channel reliability monitoring and evaluation study for Willapa Bay Washington described in this report was performed by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory for the U.S. Army Engineer District Seattle (NWS). The study was established under a Partnering Agreement between the NWS and the Willapa Port Commission for determining the feasibility of maintaining a reliable navigation channel through the Willapa Bay entrance. Willapa Bay is a large estuarine system located on the southern end of the Washington coast Its spring or diurnal range tidal prism is one of the largest of all inlets on the coast of the continental United States. The shifting channels at the entrance to Willapa Bay make navigation unreliable, and the local port cannot maintain or attract commercial users. Local interests obtained Congressional support to determine if an economical deep-draft channel can be established through the entrance bar. An economical channel implies a route that can be traversed safely under typical waves and tidal currents. The study was conducted in a multi-disciplinary approach involving engineering analysis, field measurements, geomorphologic analysis, and numerical modeling of waves, currents, and sediment transport in evaluation of alternative channel designs. These topics are covered in the main text of the report, with additional details and data compilations contained in appendices.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA378474
Entities
People
- Adele Militello
- Edward B. Hands
- Keith Kurrus
- Nicholas C. Kraus
- William C. Seabergh
Organizations
- Engineer Research and Development Center