Shoreline Erosion Protection for U.S. Coast Guard Station
Siuslaw River, Oregon, U.S.A.
Vladimir Shepsis, PhD, PE; Younes Nouri, PhD; and David Simpson, PE
Coast & Harbor Engineering, Inc. 110 Main Street, Suite 103, Edmonds, WA 98020, USA
ABSTRACT
A planning study for shoreline erosion protection at the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Station
located at the Siuslaw River at Florence, Oregon was conducted by Coast & Harbor Engineering,
Inc (CHE). CHE’s engineering work included development and planning-level design of the
shoreline erosion protection alternatives, and evaluation of these alternatives with numerical
modeling to develop sufficient information for planning decisions by USCG on viability for
continued long-term Station operations. A wide range of bioengineering alternatives for erosion
protection were investigated and evaluated in the analysis.
In the first phase of the work, CHE conducted a study and assessed the physical processes at the
site, and specifically, those that potentially may contribute to the erosion processes along the
shoreline of interest. That study identified and conceptually developed feasible solutions to
stabilize the shoreline and bottom slope along the USCG Station.
In the second phase of the work, CHE developed the basis of design, and conducted an
alternative analysis to find the best measures for erosion protection. CHE then engineered two
shoreline erosion protection alternatives to the planning level of design. In addition, CHE further
investigated a No Action alternative to prepare the basis for USCG planning decisions. The
alternatives considered under the current study are as follows:
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Alternative 1 – No Action (Status Quo)
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Alternative 2 – Groins and Pocket Beach
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Alternative 3 – Revetment with Extended Toe
Under the current study, CHE also conducted numerical modeling to determine performance of
the designed alternatives with regard to the project criteria, and to evaluate possible impacts from
these alternatives on hydrodynamic (waves, river and tidal flows) and geomorphologic (river
meandering) conditions at adjacent shorelines. This paper will focus more on the investigation
and analysis of alternatives, including bioengineering measures for erosion protection.
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Biography for Main Author: Dr. Shepsis is a senior coastal engineer and principal of Coast &
Harbor Engineering Inc. (CHE) with 40 years domestic and international experience in
navigation channel, port and harbor design, dredging and dredged material disposal, shoreline
erosion stabilization, and habitat restoration and enhancement. Vladimir Shepsis received his
B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from the College of Water Engineering, Hydraulic
Engineering, Kiev, Russia, and then went on to earn his Ph.D. degree in Oceanographic
Engineering from the Marine Institute, Coastal Hydraulic Engineering, Moscow, Russia in 1983.
A number of projects that were designed by Dr. Shepsis have received national and international
recognition and awards.
Corresponding Author: Younes Nouri, PhD; (younesn@coastharboreng.com); 410-905-5119
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