Coastal Engineering & Design

 Blue Coast completed design for a cobble berm (i.e. dynamic revetment) at the Westport by the Sea (WBTS) condominium development on the Pacific Coast in Westport, WA. The purpose of the cobble berm is to provide short-term (< 5 years) shoreline protection at the WBTS properties for design storm events, in combination with an existing dune cap already constructed along the shoreline. Blue Coast also assisted with the permitting process and construction oversight. The project was constructed in winter 2021-2022.  

 Blue Coast has been providing engineering support services for the Port of Kalama's annual dredge program since 2018.  Work includes technical studies for environmental review, developing design drawings and technical specifications, bid support and construction oversight for dredging of deep-water berth and placement of material at in-water and beach nourishment sites. Blue Coast also conducts monitoring surveys of dredge material placement sites and annual reporting.   

 Blue Coast was the prime consultant assisting the City of Blaine design for a shoreline protection project at Marine Park that incorporated soft-shoreline project elements. Blue Coast completed final design documents, bid support and construction oversight.  The design included shoreline protection for critical infrastructure and two pocket beaches that provide nearshore habitat enhancement and public access to to the shoreline from the upland park.  Project constructed December 2023.   

Blue Coast led a multi-disciplinary team to complete an alternatives evaluation and develop final design documents and acquire project permits for this shoreline stabilization and nearshore restoration project at Little Squalicum Beach located on Port of Bellingham property. A site-specific wave model was developed to help inform design of the project. Design work included refining the existing shoreline design to increase the area of restored intertidal habitat, increase sustainability of beach sand/gravel on the project site, and streamline federal, state and local permitting (including eliminating need for mitigation).  Construction was completed in 2022 where Blue Coast Engineering provided construction oversight assistance to the Port 

Blue Coast worked with GeoEngineers to conduct a coastal processes assessment and site characterization, including a geomorphic site assessment, wind climate analysis, wind-wave calculations, and extremal water levels at the Mutiny Bay boat launch on southern Whidbey Island. Island County Public Works maintains the boat launch and under the County’s maintenance permit issued by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), sediment and debris at the site are to be placed on the down-drift side of the boat launch and spread evenly. Recent complaints from nearby property owners prompted Public Works to identify best practices for clearing and placing the accumulated sediment. Blue Coast provided recommendations for best management practices.

Blue Coast has been working since 2006 on this research program to determine shore impacts from passenger-only fast ferries operating between Seattle and Bremerton. Since 2006 there have been multiple phases of the study and work completed led to the selection of vessels to be used on the route. Some key aspects of the study included: evaluation of over 300 coastal structures to determine their interaction with beach morphology and vulnerability to wave forces, a field data collection program to provide multi-year measurements of biological, oceanographic, and geomorphic conditions to assess the coastal impacts of a fast ferry system, vessel wake modeling and in-situ testing, and continued monitoring of the shorelines after vessel operations commenced.