Coastal Engineering & Design

 Blue Coast completed a wind-wave analysis for the Oakland Bay Marina located near Shelton, Washington. The Shelton Yacht Club is undertaking repair and redesign of the marina and has proposed to install a floating breakwater constructed of concrete pontoon floats placed around the north and east perimeter of the re-designed marina to provide protection from wind-waves, particularly from northeasterly winter storm events.  Blue Coast completed a wind-wave climate analysis to demonstrate the for a concrete float breakwater. The analysis compared the existing wave climate against published design criteria for small craft harbors and provided preliminary guidance on the breakwater design parameters to improve the wave climate within the marina.  

  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 is the engineer for the Port of Kalama maintenance dredge program. Blue Coast develops the annual engineering plans, technical specifications, bid package and construction support for dredging of TEMCO deep water berth. We conduct an evaluation of large-scale hydrodynamics and sediment transport patterns to provide technical information for long range planning of dredge disposal needs and site capacity. Work for the Port also includes evaluation and monitoring of dredge material placement at in-water and beach nourishment sites to evaluate fate and dispersion of sediment and document the annual transport rates in a technical report for environmental compliance.

Blue Coast is also responsible for new in-water placement sites and beach nourishment placement sites, revising site design in response to comments from US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Portland District Navigation Group as well as other Washington and Oregon State regulatory agencies and local regulatory authorities. We also provide written documentation to gain USACE Section 408 approvals for the dredge program.