Mouth of the Columbia River Buoy System Julie Thomas Program Manager, CDIP Executive Director, SCCOOS Ilwaco, WA June 18, 2009

CDIP Mission Based at SIO 39 Wave Stations 14 People $2.5M+ / year budget Funded by: CDBW USACE (SCCOOS BEACON ONR SD Foundation…) Develop US nearshore wave climatology for more rational design decisions COASTAL DATA INFORMATION PROGRAM

OUTLINE 1. Overview of the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) 2. Overview of the Datawell Wave Buoys, moorings and deployment vessels. 3.Examples of existing customized Port products: - Los Angeles/Long Beach – San Pedro Channel - San Francisco 4.Mouth of the Columbia River – location 5.Funding 6.Examples of CDIP Products 7.Reliability Statistics

CDIP Wave Buoys Near Ports and Harbors Port/Harbor buoys Other CDIP wave buoys Each port has its own unique Set of challenges…no one Template fits all! How important is consistency for The inter and intra-state maritime community?

Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Supports Science, Engineering, and Marine Safety Sponsored by NOAA and USACE Plan Approved by IOOS Program Office, March 2009 Strategic placement of wave buoys for integration with global and local wave models. High wave data quality standards

-Constructed in the Netherlands, robust, reliable. Considered as the base system for wave buoy comparisons in the International Community (JCOMM) -Centimeter accuracy in the wave height, 5 degrees resolution for wave direction. -Data are transmitted via iridium satellite. (full xyz and spectra are transmitted). All raw data are stored on board. -- All data are disseminated on the CDIP Website in near real-time. The data 30 minutes. -The parameter (Hs, Tp, Dp, SST ) and spectral data are transmitted to hour. Via AWIPS, data are transmitted to the NWS Office. - Alert system if buoy breaks loose. DATAWELL Directional Wave Buoy

MOORING SYSTEM - 30 m bungee that allows for surface following buoy. Bungee stretches to 4 x its length - Polypropolene line lbs of large anchor chain Compliant mooring System designed to maximize the frequency response of the buoy Instrumentation.

Gray’s Harbor Installation 1981 – present Max Hs = 12m (2/06)

U m pqua (1/06) Max Hs = 10.3m (1/07) Cape Mendocino (3/99) Max Hs = 9.98m (12/08)

The Coastal Wave Network Template Regional waves are monitored by a pair of Outer & Inner Shelf Buoys. outer inner SHELF CROSS-SECTION PLAN VIEW Harbor Shelf Break

The Coastal Wave Network Template Outer/Inner wave buoys are placed at wave model boundaries for assimilation and validation. PLAN VIEW Harbor Shelf Break Global Model Shelf Model Local Model Shelf Model CROSS SECTION Local Model

Waves and Currents in the San Pedro Channel SCCOOS providing currents CDIP providing wave observations, Nowcasts and forecasts.

Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach Catalina Website allows you to click on your area of interest for further details.

Capability to send automated notification when thresholds are exceeded! 3 day wave forecast

7 DAY FORECAST, WWW/CDIP

PEAK WAVE PERIOD sec

Geo-referenced NOAA charts to Google

CDIP Point Reyes Buoy CDIP Bar Buoy Short Period Seas Swell + Sea Prediction Long Period Swell NOAA Buoy-driven wave model predictions SAN FRANCISCO BAR BUOY

Step 1. Validate Buoy-driven Regional Wave Transformation Hindcast at Bar Buoy. February 2008 HINDCAST VALIDATION Red=Model Blue=Bar Buoy

Breaking Waves on the San Francisco Bar 3 m, 10 sec Feb 23, 2008, 9pm. PST

Breaking Waves on the San Francisco Bar 6 m, 14 sec Feb 24, 2008, 3p.m. PST

Marine Incidents near SF Bar Incidents in the Vicinity of SF Bar

PROPOSED LOCATIONS OF WAVE BUOYS AT THE MCR

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS (BILL O’REILLLY) MCR The buoys can be used to both drive coastal wave models at the offshore and nested nearshore boundaries (hindcasts and nowcast) as well as validate basin- and regional-scale ww3 model forecasts at these critical hi res coastal model "handoff" locations. You can use them in a more regional way. eg. to make wave predictions for Willapa Bay as well, especially if you cheat the inner shelf buoy slightly north of the Columbia River mouth. Additional Comments (by BOR)

Nominal Ebb tidesMax Ebb Tides USGS/USACE

1.The MCR is a complex region. In order to obtain a good wave model/bar forecast, you need high resolution directional wave data. 2.The Inner/Outer Buoy concept has worked well. Summary

Budget Buoy, mooring, shipping, painting $85,000 Salary (Admin, Tech, Programmer, BOR, JOT) $10,000 Travel (5 days SD/Portland) $1300 ________________ Sub Total$96,300 Overhead27,700 __________________ TOTAL$120,000

What does the $120K cover ? 1.Order, shipment, paint, calibration, 2.Integration into CDIP system 3.Iridium configuration and costs, 4.Travel to Portland for installation, 5. Alert notification, 6.Data analysis, quality control, archive and dissemination 7.Bill O’Reilly – wave model collaboration Does not include 1.Vessel costs 2.Anchor chain 3.Local field team

Umpqua Buoy Annual Maintenance $20,000 -6, $13,400 (CDIP)

% Deployed: Percentage of the year during which the buoy was deployed and on site. % Coverage: Percentage of the deployed period for which good spectral data were obtained. Total spectra: The number of spectra files generated for the year. Reliability Statistics 2008

SAMPLE PRODUCTS

Hs(ft) Tp Dp SSt

California Swell Nowcast and Forecast Models

Gray’s Harbor Station Info Page

Min, Max, Mean

Customized Wave Model Nowcast and Forecast for the Navy

Directional Spectrum plot shows Bi-modal wave direction