Hydrogeology of Proposed Harbor Site at Head of Akutan Bay, Akutan Island, Alaska

• Main Authors: Dunbar, Joseph B., Corcoran, Maureen K., Murphy, William L.
• Other Authors: ENGINEER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER VICKSBURG MS GEOTECHNICAL AND STRUCTURES LAB
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2001
• Subjects: Geography; Geology; Geochemistry and Mineralogy; Hydrology; Limnology and Potamology; *ALASKA; *HARBORS; *HYDROGEOLOGY; PERMEABILITY; INDUSTRIES; ARMY RESEARCH; ECONOMICS; MODELS; CAPACITY(QUANTITY); PROCESSING; GROWTH(GENERAL); FACILITIES; SITES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT; AQUIFERS; GROUND WATER; WINTER; CONSTRUCTION; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; SURVEYS; FLEETS(SHIPS); SUPPORTS; STORAGE; GEOMORPHOLOGY; ELEVATION; COMMERCIAL FISHING; WETLANDS; WEDGES; SEDIMENTS; DIGITAL SIMULATION; SMALL SHIPS; SHORES; WATER TABLE; SHALLOW DEPTH; SALT WATER; ALEUTIAN ISLANDS; SEAFOOD; SALT INTRUSION; Boat Harbor; Alaska; Aleutian Islands
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA395644; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA395644

This work supports the environmental impact and feasibility studies by the Planning Division of the U.S. Army Engineer District, Alaska (CEPOA-EN-CW), for the proposed development of a small-boat harbor at the head of Akutan Bay, Akutan Island, Alaska (Figure 1). The commercial fishing industry, the seafood processing industry, and the city of Akutan support development of a harbor facility at the head of Akutan Bay. This location is well-suited because it is ice-free during the winter months. A harbor facility on Akutan Island would increase the capacity of winter storage for the fishing fleet in the Aleutian Islands and bring additional economic growth to the city of Akutan. Work by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), for CEPOA-EN-CW for the Akutan Harbor project, involves three separate studies: (1) a wetland delineation, (2) a site survey and development of a digital elevation model, and (3) a geologic/hydrologic assessment. Work for the wetland delineation and the site survey/digital elevation model are presented as separate reports (Wakeley in preparation, Berry and Graves in preparation). This report presents the results of a reconnaissance-level field study to characterize the geology, geomorphology, and hydrology of the proposed harbor area at the head of Akutan Bay. The primary purpose for the hydrogeologic investigation was to determine the impacts to the groundwater table from harbor construction. A major environmental concern and focus of this study was to estimate the onshore movement of the saltwater wedge in the impacted area due to harbor construction Primary objectives of this study were to determine the geology of the harbor area to define important aquifer characteristics of the wetland area. Important aquifer characteristics include the elevation and direction of flow of groundwater, character of the sediments and permeability of the shallow aquifer, and depth to the saltwater wedge. --Original contains color plates: All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white.