ERDC/CHL CETN-IV-24
March 2000
f. Is there an area with power and security to power instruments and communication
equipment?
g. Is there a local university near the site that might have available resources and personnel?
h. Where are the available access points for boat launches?
i. Who rents boats in the local area and are the boats suitable for data collection?
j. What kinds of structures are available for mounting instruments?
l. What is the vandalism history in the area?
m. Are there local contractors available for assistance?
n. In the event of a long-term monitoring program, will seasonal weather conditions be a
factor in deployment and servicing equipment?
o. Is seasonal lodging availability a concern?
long-term deployments?
During the site visit, local knowledge is obtained (by means of conversations with local
community groups or individuals familiar with the inlet and from existing documentation) of the
conditions that exist for various tidal and storm events. These data provide valuable insights for
further defining the problem and assessing its magnitude. Specific attention must be paid to
available mounting platforms in the project area. Additionally, resource use must be determined.
If commercial fishing industry or tow traffic heavily navigate an area, then a different set of
deployment problems must be addressed. Knowledge gained from conversations with local
residents and users is valuable in trying to determine locations for instruments. Information
gained from older data sets helps to determine the seasonal variability at the site. If a site has
significant changes in currents, wave conditions, and wind directions, then longer data collection
programs might be necessary to capture the seasonal variability.
2. Inventory available data resources. Data resources are identified that may be pertinent for
understanding the inlet-related problem and determining feasible alternative solutions. Such
resources include historical data, ongoing data collection, and potential future data collection and
analysis.
Examples are historical tide-gauge data (available on the web at
(http://h2o.er.usgs.gov), historical and hind-cast wave data (http://cdip.ucsd.edu), aerial
photography, and literature reviews and data compilations in the General Design Memorandum
and related reports for the original project. Typical questions are:
a. Are there any tide or wave recorders inside the inlet?
b. Are there any offshore wave or meteorological buoys?
c. When was the last hydrographic survey run at the site?
d. Are the data available digitally?
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