Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11681/27152
Title: Numerical water quality model study for the Los Angeles Harbor Pier 400 Project
Authors: Hall, Ross W.
Keywords: Water quality--California--Mathematical models
Piers--California--Los Angeles
Harbors--California--Los Angeles
San Pedro Bay (Calif. : Bay)
Los Angeles Harbor (Calif.)
Publisher: Environmental Laboratory (U.S.)
U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station.
Series/Report no.: Miscellaneous Paper (U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station.) ; EL-95-1
Abstract: The Port of Los Angeles plans to construct an additional port facility referred to as Pier 400. The Pier 400 harbor facility may affect water quality by changing the tidal circulation and flushing patterns. Numerical water quality model simulations were used to compare flushing and dissolved oxygen (DO) resources at existing conditions and two stages of plan implementation. The flushing simulations computed the transport and dilution of a conservative tracer inserted into various regions of the harbor. The flushing studies provided a qualitative comparison between plans where a decrease in flushing rate prolongs the period of time that oxygen-demanding· substances exert their influence on the DO concentration. The water quality simulations included the variables temperature, phytoplankton, phosphate, nitrate, biochemical oxygen demand, and DO, and were conducted for the period August 1-31, 1987, where a complete set of field data were available to establish initial and boundary conditions and to calibrate the model under existing conditions. Two flushing studies were conducted: injection of tracer into all regions interior to the Federal breakwaters, and injection of tracer only in the region east of the Stage 1 access causeway. The first flushing study revealed that the two stages of plan implementation inhibited flushing in the LA Outer Harbor, Fish Harbor, Seaplane Lagoon, and Main Channel. The second flushing study showed that the access corridor prevented advection to areas west of the causeway; the dilution rate decreased by an order of three. The water quality simulation indicated that DO concentrations remained nearly equivalent between existing and the two stages of plan implementation; all simulated DO concentrations exceeded 6.0 g m⁻³. Plan implementations resulted in a small simulated DO decrease in the west side of the Los Angeles Outer Harbor, at the existing Terminal Island Treatment Plant (TITP) outfall, and in the Main Channel. The maximum DO difference of 1.5 g m⁻³ (8.6 g m⁻³ versus 7.5 g m⁻³, for existing conditions and second plan implementation, respectively) occurred in the second week of the simulation in the bottom layer at the TITP outfall. Simulated DO east of the access causeway was higher for the plan implementations than under existing conditions.
Description: Miscellaneous Paper
Gov't Doc #: Miscellaneous Paper EL-95-1
Rights: Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11681/27152
Size: 139 pages/6.615 Mb
Types of Materials: PDF/A
Appears in Collections:Miscellaneous Paper

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