Design for navigation improvements at Nome Harbor, Alaska : coastal model investigation

156 Pages·1998·5.5 MB·English

by  Bottin, Robert R

Technical Report CHL-98-28
September 1998
l-i
US Army Corps
of Engineers
Waterways Experiment
Station
Design for Navigation Improvements
at Nome Harbor, Alaska
Coastal Model Investigation
by Robert R. Bottin, Jr., Hugh F. Acuff
Approved For Public Release; Distribution Is Unlimited
Preparedfor U.S. Army Engineer District, Alaska
Thecontentsofthisreportarenottobeusedforadvertising,
publication,orpromotionalpurposes.Citationoftradenames
doesnotconstituteanofficialendorsementorapprovaloftheuse
ofsuchcommercialproducts.
The findings of this report are not to be construed as an
official Department ofthe Army position, unless so desig-
natedbyotherauthorizeddocuments.
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PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Technical Report CHL-98-28
September 1998
Design for Navigation Improvements
at Nome Harbor, Alaska
Coastal Model Investigation
by RobertR. Bottin,Jr., Hugh F. Acuff
U.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers
WaterwaysExperimentStation
3909HallsFerryRoad
Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199
Final report
Approvedforpublicrelease;distributionisunlimited
Preparedfor U.S. Army Engineer District, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska 99506-0898
r~\
US Army Corps
of Engineers
Waterways Experiment
Station
FORINFORMATIONCONTACT:
PUBLICAFFAIRSOFFICE
U.S.ARMYENGINEER
WATERWAYSEXPERIMENTSTATION
3909HALLSFERRYROAD
VICKSBURG,MISSISSIPPI 39180-6199
PHONE:[phone]
AREAOfRESESWTIO*.
WaterwaysExperimentStationCataioging-in-PublicationData
Bottin, RobertR.
DesignfornavigationimprovementsatNomeHarbor,Alaska:coastalmodelinvestigation/byRobert
R. Bottin,Jr.,HughF.—Acuff;preparedforU.S.ArmyEngineerDistrict,Alaska.
153p. :ill.;28cm. (Technicalreport;CHL-98-28)
Includesbib—liographic—reference—s. — — —
1.Harbors Alaska Nome Models. 2. Navigation Alaska Nome Models.3. Hydraulic
models. I.Acuff, HughF. II. UnitedStates.Army.CorpsofEngineers.AlaskaDistrict. III. U.S.Army
EngineerWaterwaysExperimentStation. IV.CoastalandHydraulicsLaboratory(U.S.ArmyEngineer
WaterwaysExperimentStation) V.Title.VI.Series:Technicalreport(U.S.ArmyEngineerWaterways
ExperimentStation) ;CHL-98-28.
TA7W34no.CHL-98-28
Contents
Preface iv
ConversionFactors, Non-SItoSIUnitsofMeasurement vi
1—Introduction 1
Prototype 1
ProblemsandNeeds 3
PurposeoftheModelInvestigation 5
2-TheModel 6
ModelDesign 6
ModelandAppurtenances 8
DesignofTracerMaterial 11
3—ExperimentalConditionsandProcedures 12
SelectionofExperimentalConditions 12
AnalysisofModelData 17
—
4 ExperimentsandResults 18
Experiments 18
ExperimentalResults 22
5—Conclusions 36
References 38
Tables 1-5
Photos 1-9
Plates 1-86
SF298
Preface
Arequestforamodel investigationtostudynavigationimprovementsatNome
Harbor, Alaska, wasinitiatedbytheU.S. ArmyEngineerDistrict, Alaska, ina
lettertothe U.S. ArmyEngineerDivision, PacificOcean. Headquarters, U.S.
ArmyCorpsofEngineers(HQUSACE) subsequentiyauthorizedtheU.S. Army
EngineerWaterwaysExperimentStation(WES), CoastalandHydraulicsLabora-
tory(CHL), toperformthestudy. FundswereprovidedbytheAlaskaDistrict
on4August 1997, 14October 1997, 9January 1998, and27February 1998.
ModelexperimentswereconductedatWESduringtheperiodDecember 1997
throughMarch 1998bypersonneloftheHarborsandEntrancesBranch(HEB)of
theNavigationandHarborsDivision(NHD), CHL,underthedirectionof
Dr. JamesR. HoustonandMr. CharlesC. Calhoun,Jr., DirectorandAssistant
DirectorofCHL, respectively; andunderthedirectguidanceofMessrs. C. E.
Chatham, Jr., ChiefofNHD; andDennisG. Markle, ChiefofHEB. Modelex-
perimentswereconductedbyMessrs. HughF. AcuffandLarryR. Tolliver, Civil
EngineeringTechnicians, andWilliamG. Henderson, ComputerAssistant, under
the supervisionofMr. RobertR. Bottin, Jr., ResearchPhysicalScientist. This
reportwaspreparedbyMessrs. BottinandAcuff. WordProcessingandformat-
tingwerecompletedbyMs. MyraE. Willis, CHL.
Priortothemodelinvestigation, Messrs. BottinandAcuffmetwithrepresen-
tativesoftheAlaskaDistrictandvisitedNomeHarbortoinspecttheprototype
site. Duringthecourseofthe study, liaisonwasmaintainedbymeansofconfer-
ences, telephonecommunications, E-mail, andmonthlyprogressreports.
Messrs. KenEissesandEdSorensonweretechnicalpointsofcontactforthe
AlaskaDistrict. ThefollowingpersonnelvisitedWEStoattendbriefings, confer-
ences, and/orobservemodeloperationduringthecourseofthestudy.
Mr. LetMonLee HQUSACE
Mr. HenriLanglois HQUSACE
Mr. JimNakasone PacificOceanDivision
Mr. CarlStormer AlaskaDistrict
Mr. KenEisses AlaskaDistrict
Mr. EdSorenson AlaskaDistrict
Mr. JohnBurns AlaskaDistrict
Mr. WillAppleton AlaskaDistrict
Mr. KenBoire ConsultingEconomist, AlaskaDistrict
Mr. JohnOliver EngineeringConsultant, AlaskaDistrict
Mr. JohnHandeland Mayor, CityofNome
Mr. MikeYanez CityManager, CityofNome
Mr. StanAndersen CityCouncil, CityofNome
Mr. NormanJohnson CityCouncil, CityofNome
Mr. TerryWilson HarborCommission, CityofNome
Mr. RandyRomenesko CityEngineer, CityofNome
Mr. DonStultz President, NomePlanningCommission
Mr. PaulFuhs Consultant, CityofNome
Dr. RobertW. WhalinwasDirectorofWESduringmodelexperimentation
andthepreparationandpublicationofthisreport. COLRobinR. Cababa, EN,
wasCommander.
Thecontentsofthisreportarenottobeusedforadvertising,publication,
orpromotionalpurposes. Citationoftradenamesdoesnotconstitutean
officialendorsementorapprovaloftheuseofsuchcommercialproducts.
Conversion Factors, Non-SI to
SI Units of Measurement
Non-SIunitsofmeasurementusedinthisreportcanbeconvertedtoSIunitsas
follows:
Multiply By ToObtain
cubicfeetpersecond 0.02831685 cubicmeterspersecond
• degrees(angle) 0.01745329 radians
feet 0.3048 meters
feetpersecond 0.3048 meterspersecond
inches 2.54 centimeters
miles(USstatute) 1.609347 kilometers
pounds(mass) 0.4536 kilograms
squarefeet 0.09290304 squaremeters
squaremiles(USstatute) 2.589988 squarekilometers
tons(2,000pounds,mass) 907.1847 kilograms
Introduction
1
Prototype
NomeislocatedontheSewardpeninsulainwesternAlaska(Figure 1). Itis
knownasthetransportationandcommercialcenterfornorthwestAlaska. Nomeis
accessibleonlybyairandwater,andcannotbereachedbyroadfromanymajorcity.
Alocalroadsystemleadstothreesmallneighboringvillages. Mining,fishing,and
tourismarethemajorindustriesinNome.
NomeHarborislocatedontheNortonSound,BeringSea,atthemouthofthe
SnakeRiver. TheoriginalFederalproject,authorizedin 1917,wasamongthefirst
CorpsofEngineersnavigationprojectsinAlaska. Itprovidedfora102-m-long
(335-ft-long)' eastjetty,a140-m-long(460-ft-long)westjetty,anda2.44-m-deep2
(8-ft-deep),23-m-wide(75-ft-wide),587-m-long(1,925-ft-long)entrancechannel
extendingfromNortonSoundtoaturningbasinuptheSnakeRiver. Thebasinwas
2.44mdeep(8ftdeep)andapproximately76mby 183m(250ftby600ft)in
area. Dredgingofthechannelandbasinwerecompletedin 1922. Constructionof
thejetties(originallyconcreteandtimberstructures)wascompletedin 1923. In
addition,approximately 1,163linearm(3,815linearft)ofsteelsheet-pilewallwas
constructedthatlinedtheentrancechannelandeasternsideoftheturningbasin.
Duetoextensiveiceandstormdamage,theeastandwestjettieswererecon-
structed(withconcreteandsteel)in 1940tomodifiedlengthsof73m(240ft)and
122m(400ft),respectively. Theeastjettywasrepairedin 1954,andbothwere
againrepairedin 1965. Emergencyrepairstothesteelsheet-pilewallwereaccom-
plishedin 1985and 1986(U.S.ArmyEngineerDistrict,Alaska(USAEDA) 1996).
TheexistingfederalprojectisshowninFigure2.
UnitsofmeasurementinthemaintextofthisreportareshowninSI(metric)units,followed
bynon-SI(British)unitsinparentheses. Inaddition,atableoffactorsforconvertingnon-SI
unitsofmeasurementusedinfigures,plates,andtablesinthisreporttoSIunitsispresentedon
pagevi.
Alldepthsandelevationscitedhereinareinmeters(feet)referredtomeanlowerlowwater
(mllw)unlessotherwisenoted.
Chapter1 Introduction
CHUKCHISEA
SCALE
10 20 3040 50Ml
Figure 1. Project location
Chapter1 Introduction