Humboldt Bay gets $10 million for jetty repairs

Jared Huffman: ‘Local economies depend on “forgotten harbors”

February 10, 2020

Last year, emergency shoaling conditions shut down Humboldt Bay, but a big chunk of funding from the federal government should help make the infrastructure improvements needed to keep that from happening in the future.

On Monday, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced the Humboldt Bay and harbor are receiving $10,892,000 in the fiscal year 2020 Army Corps of Engineers work plan for dredging and repair work to the north and south jetties.

“Local economies depend on ‘forgotten harbors,’” Huffman said in a statement. ” … I am thrilled that we will finally be able to address the recreational, commercial, and public safety problems that come from delayed dredging. The safety and viability of commercial and recreational traffic is the highest priority, and I thank the Army Corps for taking action on this urgent infrastructure need.”

The Humboldt Bay jetties are in a high energy wave environment, which means the water is very powerful, and over the course of time has pounded away at the rocks that make up the jetties, said Edwin S. Townsley, deputy for project management at the San Francisco District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Even though the rocks are still there, it just no longer keeps the waves from going through them or over them,” Townsley said.

The Army Corps of Engineers is going to put in additional rocks and fix spots that are low to help pacify the water in the bay, he said.

“We’re looking to put a contract out to get that work done this season on the north side and put an option in it so that we can get the south side done next year,” Townsley said.

Two things are important to ship traffic in the bay — the depth of the water and protection from powerful waves, Townsley said. The deeper the water, the less wavy it will be, and a barrier like a jetty protects it from stronger waves, particularly during the wintertime, he said.

To complicate factors, Larry Oetker, executive director of the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, said “the jetties really establish the flow in and out of the bay and right now there are holes that are in the jetty. So instead of directing the wave action, what we believe has been happening is the jetties have been causing sand to circulate within the bay and that’s caused shoaling in areas where it historically didn’t happen.”

The reconstruction of the jetty should be a long-term fix, but it will require maintenance, Oetker said.

But the jetties aren’t just important for navigation and the safety of “our commercial and recreational fishing fleet,” Oetker said; they’re also the front line of defense against sea-level rise and climate change.

Climate change is causing storms and waves to get more intense, “so our infrastructure is taking a beating,” Oetker said.

But Oetker has been working tirelessly to secure funds and build relationships with both Huffman and the Army Corps of Engineers, Townsley said.

“Over the last few years, (we) worked hard to build a relationship with Army Corps of Engineers and they’ve been great,” Oetker said. ” … Congressman Jared Huffman’s office has also been fantastic.”

Sonia Waraich can be reached at 707-441-0506.


By:  SONIA WARAICH
Source: Time Standard