1 Introduction 



The Prototype 



Noyo River and Harbor are located on the California coast in 

 Mendocino County, approximately 135 miles 1 north of San Francisco and 

 87 miles south or Eureka (Figure 1). The shoreline in the locality consists 

 of broken, irregular cliffs about 40 to 80 ft high with numerous rocks ex- 

 tending several hundred yards offshore. Small pocket beaches are found 

 at the heads of coves in the immediate vicinity. The Noyo River empties 

 into Noyo Cove, which is approximately 1,800 ft wide, north to south, and 

 2,000 ft long, east to west. 



The existing Noyo River and Harbor project was authorized by the 

 River and Harbor Act of 1930 (U.S. Army Engineer District (USAED), 

 San Francisco 1979), and construction was completed in 1961. It consists 

 of a jettied entrance at the river mouth; a 10-ft-deep, 100-ft-wide entrance 

 channel; and a 10-ft-deep, 150-ft-wide river channel extending upstream 

 about 0.6 mile. Noyo Mooring Basin is located on the south bank of the 

 river at the upstream limit of the dredged river channel. Further upstream, 

 approximately 1.1. miles from the river mouth, a privately owned harbor 

 (Dolphin Marina) is located on the south bank. An aerial photograph of 

 the area is shown in Figure 2. 



The Problem 



Noyo Cove is open to the Pacific Ocean and is exposed to large waves 

 generated by local coastal storms accompanied by strong winds (sea) and 

 distant ocean storms with and without local winds (swell). Waves in ex- 

 cess of 20 ft in height approach the cove from the southwest clockwise 

 through northwest directions. Heavy seas sweep across the cove and 



A table of factors for converting non-SI units of measurements to SI units is presented 

 on page v. 



Chapter 1 Introduction 



