Section 59 

 ASTORIA, OREGON — U. S. MVAL STATION TOH&UE POINT 



A59.01 Location of the Test Station and Test Board 



A test TDoard of the panel type was installed at the U. S. Niaval 

 Station at Astoria, Oregon, on July 18, 19^^ > and operated until Feb- 

 ruary 18, 19^6. It was later requested that the operation of this 

 test hoard he discontinued hecause no marine horers were present at 

 this location. The station is located ahout 8 miles upstream from the 

 mouth of the Colitmbia River, i.e., from where the river empties into the 

 Pacific Ocean. The test hoard was located at the extreme north end of 

 Pier No. 2 and was designated hy the symbol USNAO-1. 



The port of Astoria docks, which were leased by the Navy Department, 

 •fere constructed between 191^1- and 1921, and the original piling was still 

 in place in 19hh. The piling was reported to he in excellent condition 

 helow the low water level, hut it had rotted out between the tidal ranges. 

 The piles under the docks had been cut off at approximately the 5-f't 

 elevation and r epos ted up to the main decks of the piers. The maximum 

 decay occurred close to mean high water, but there had been absolutely no 

 indication of decay or of disintegration of the piles below meaui low 

 water. Moreover, there had been no indication of any wooden piling at 

 this Station having been damaged by marine borers. 



A59 . 02 Bydrographic Data 



The depth of water at the location where the test board was 

 installed was 18.1 ft below mean low water; the tidal range was 12 ft 

 (from -2 to /lO ft); the current was reported to vary from to 6 knots. 

 The temperature of the water at the time of installation was 65° F. The 

 saJLinity of the water surrounding the Naval Station varies greatly each 

 day, ciianging from nearly 100^ fresh at ebb tide to a considerable salt 

 content at flood tide. The water carried considerable silt, but was not 

 strongly polluted with acids because of the large volume of flow. 



A39.O3 Marine Borers 



There was no evidence whatever of activity of any marine borers 

 during the approximately li--year period covered by the test. In fact, 

 the daily variation of the water from saline to practically fresh water 

 woTold preclude the possibility of either Teredinidae or Limnoria becoming 

 established at this location. 



A'^9.0k Fouling Agents 



1. Silt. Silt occurred on all the panels of both the control 



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