[House Document 105-99]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



105th Congress, 1st Session  - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 105-99


 
                          COOK INLET, ALASKA

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  FROM

 THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY (CIVIL WORKS), THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                                THE ARMY

                              TRANSMITTING

  A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DATED 
SEPTEMBER 27, 1996, SUBMITTING A REPORT ON COOK INLET, ALASKA, TOGETHER 
WITH ACCOMPANYING PAPERS AND ILLUSTRATIONS, PURSUANT TO PUBLIC LAW 104-
               303, SEC. 101(b)(2) (110 STAT. 3666-3667)




    June 20, 1997.--Referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure and ordered to be printed


                           COOK INLET, ALASKA
                                     

105th Congress, 1st Session  - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 105-99


                          COOK INLET, ALASKA

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  FROM

 THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY (CIVIL WORKS), THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                                THE ARMY

                              TRANSMITTING

  A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DATED 
SEPTEMBER 27, 1996, SUBMITTING A REPORT ON COOK INLET, ALASKA, TOGETHER 
WITH ACCOMPANYING PAPERS AND ILLUSTRATIONS, PURSUANT TO PUBLIC LAW 104-
               303, SEC. 101(b)(2) (110 STAT. 3666-3667)




    June 20, 1997.--Referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure and ordered to be printed



                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page
Letter of Transmittal............................................   vii
Comments of the Office of Management and Budget..................    ix
Comments of the State of Alaska..................................     x
Comments of the Department of the Interior.......................    xi
Comments of the Department of Transportation.....................   xii
Report of the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Army.........     1
Report of the District Engineer:.................................     8
    Summary......................................................     8
    Pertinent Data...............................................    10
    Conversion Factors...........................................    11
    Glossary.....................................................    12
    Acknowledgments..............................................    13
    1. INTRODUCTION..............................................    14
        1.1 Study Authority......................................    14
        1.2 Federal Interest.....................................    14
        1.3 Federal Policies and Procedures......................    15
        1.4 Reconnaissance Study Findings and Conclusions........    15
        1.5 Sponsorship..........................................    16
        1.6 Scope of the Feasibility Study.......................    16
        1.7 Coordination With Public and Private Interests.......    16
    2. PHYSICAL SETTING..........................................    17
        2.1 Geography............................................    17
        2.2 Climate..............................................    20
        2.3 Geology..............................................    21
            2.3.1 Cook Inlet Area................................    21
            2.3.2 Geology of Knik Arm............................    23
        2.4 Oceanography.........................................    24
            2.4.1 Cook Inlet.....................................    24
            2.4.2 Oceanographic Measurements in Knik Arm.........    29
        2.5 Environmental Setting................................    30
            2.5.1 Vegetation.....................................    30
            2.5.2 Animal Life....................................    30
    3. HUMAN HISTORY, DEMOGRAPHY, AND GOVERNMENT.................    34
        3.1 Indigenous People....................................    34
        3.2 European Exploration.................................    35
            3.2.1 Russian........................................    35
            3.2.2 English........................................    35
            3.2.3 Spanish........................................    35
        3.3 American Rule........................................    36
        3.4 Anchorage............................................    36
        3.5 Demography of Southcentral Alaska....................    38
    4. PORT FACILITIES AND WATERBORNE COMMERCE...................    40
        4.1 Port Facilities......................................    40
            4.1.1 History........................................    40
            4.1.2 Facilities at Port of Anchorage................    41
            4.1.3 Other Anchorage Port Facilities................    44
        4.2 Waterborne Commerce..................................    45
            4.2.1 General........................................    45
            4.2.2 Historical Commodity Movements.................    46
    5. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION....................................    48
        5.1 Approaches to the Port of Anchorage..................    48
            5.1.1 Fire Island Shoal..............................    48
            5.1.2 Knik Arm Shoal.................................    48
        5.2 Area Port Improvements Contemplated..................    49
            5.2.1 Fire Island Port...............................    49
            5.2.2 Port MacKenzie.................................    49
            5.2.3 Improvements to Port of Anchorage..............    50
        5.3 Simulation of Ship Transits of Cook Inlet............    51
            5.3.1 Modeling Objectives............................    51
            5.3.2 Methodology....................................    51
            5.3.3 Verification...................................    52
            5.3.4 Result.........................................    52
    6. PLAN FORMULATION..........................................    54
        6.1 Findings of Previous Studies.........................    54
            6.1.1 Corps of Engineers Studies.....................    54
            6.1.2 Studies by Others..............................    57
        6.2 Field Data Collection and Analysis, 1992.............    60
        6.3 Field Data Collection and Analysis, 1994.............    61
        6.4 Alternatives Involving No Excavation.................    63
            6.4.1 Improved Aids to Navigation....................    63
            6.4.2 Increased Frequency of Surveys.................    64
            6.4.3 Modifications to Shipping Practices............    64
            6.4.4 Diversion of Cargo to Other Ports..............    64
        6.5 Channel Excavation Alternatives......................    65
            6.5.1 Channel Location and Orientation...............    65
            6.5.2 Channel Width..................................    67
            6.5.3 Channel Depth..................................    68
            6.5.4 Dredging Considerations........................    68
            6.5.5 Cost Estimates.................................    69
    7. EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES................................    70
        7.1 Alternatives Involving No Excavation.................    70
            7.1.1 No Action......................................    70
            7.1.2 Improved Aids to Navigation....................    70
            7.1.3 Increased Frequency of Surveys.................    71
            7.1.4 Modifying Shipping Practices or Diverting Cargo 
              to Other Ports.....................................    71
        7.2 Channel Dredging.....................................    72
            7.2.1 Channel Geometry...............................    72
            7.2.2 Economic Benefits..............................    72
            7.2.3 Environmental Impacts..........................    74
            7.2.4 Implementation Prospects.......................    75
    8. THE RECOMMENDED PLAN......................................    76
        8.1 Description..........................................    76
        8.2 Real Estate..........................................    76
        8.3 Cost Allocation......................................    76
        8.4 Economic Benefits....................................    79
        8.5 Non-federal Sponsorship..............................    79
        8.6 Project Implementation...............................    79
    9. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...........................    81
        9.1 Conclusions..........................................    81
        9.2 Recommendations......................................    82
Recommendations of the Division Engineer
    REFERENCES...................................................    86

                            List of Figures

Figure No.                            Title
    2-1  Area map................................................    18
    2-2  GKnik Arm shoreline and general bathymetry, with current 
      shipping route.............................................    20
    2-3  Generalized bathymetry of Cook Inlet....................    25
    2-4  Surface circulation pattern, Cook Inlet.................    28
    2-5  GProfiles of water speeds normal to transect L8 during 
      ebb flow on May 5, 1994....................................    31
    2-6  GDepth-averaged current speed components and directions 
      along line L-8 during ebb flow on May 5, 1994..............    32
    3-1  Alaska population by labor market region, 1960-90.......    39
    4-1  Cargo ships at Port of Anchorage (photo)................    42
    4-2  Map of Port of Anchorage................................    43
    6-1  GCurrent shipping area in upper Cook Inlet, with 
      proposed channel and disposal area locations...............    66
    8-1  Knik Arm Shoal, Cook Inlet, Alaska, recommended plan 
      (foldout)..................................................    78

                             List of Tables

Table No.                            Title
    2-1  GAverage, maximum, and minimum recorded flows for the 
      Matanuska, Knik, and Susitna Rivers........................    19
    2-2  Tidal ranges for various locations within Cook Inlet....    26
    2-3  Current ranges for various locations within Cook Inlet..    26
    3-1  Borough and census area population, 1960-90.............    39
    4-1  Historical commodity flows, Port of Anchorage, 1985-94..    37
    5-1  Estimated average delay times in hours per transit......    53
    6-1  GEstimated first cost of alternative elevations, Knik 
      Arm Shoal channel..........................................    69
    7-1  Transportation savings benefits.........................    74
    8-1  Cost estimate for recommended plan......................    77
    8-2  Summary of project NED costs............................    79
    8-3  Cost-sharing apportionment at fully funded price levels.    79
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA)....................................    89
    EA Appendix 1: Clean Water Act Evaluation (Section 404)......   106
    EA Appendix 2: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coordination 
      Act Report  G(CAR).........................................   111
    EA Appendix 3: Correspondence Associated With the EA Public 
      Review.....................................................   127
                              ----------                              

      APPENDICES ACCOMPANYING THE REPORT OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
            (Only Appendices A, Part 3; B; C and D Printed)

Appendices:
    A. Engineering...............................................   139
        Part 1: Channel Design.
        Part 2: Geophysical and Geotechnical Investigations.
        Part 3: Baseline Cost Estimate...........................   139
    B. Economics.................................................   145
    C. Ship Transit Simulation...................................   186
    D. Correspondence............................................   210





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