Development of a Predictive Model to Assess the Effects of Extended Season Navigation on Great Lakes Connecting Waters

摘要

The object of this study was to develop a method for forecasting the physical effects of the passage of commercial vessels through Great Lakes connecting waters during that period of time when traffic is normally at a minimum due to a more or less continuous ice cover. The physical impacts examined were sediment translocation, water quality effects, direct damage to existing structures, and changes in the gross hydraulic regime. Also associated with the report but bound separately are: the User's Manual for Prediction of Vessel Impacts in a Confined Waterway; Appendix A, Site and Soil Conditions; Appendix B, Observed Vessel Induced Water Level Drawdowns; and Appendix C, Observed Ice Thicknesses and Water Turbidities. Contents: St. Mary's River Hydraulics; Area Geology and Soil Conditions; Observation Sites--Selection and Characteristics; Analytical Prediction of Vessel-Induced Drawdown; A Comparison of Predicted and Observed Water Level Changes; Sediment Disturbance; Model Prediction of Relative Damage; River Turbidity and Light Extinction Characteristics; Vessel-Induced Ice Forces on Structures; Hydraulic Effects of Ice in the St. Mary's River System; Damage Evaluation for Two Fleet Mixes. (FR)