ALASKA TIDAL CURRENT MEASUREMENT PROJECT 


The project goal was to reoccupy historic tidal current 
stations and establish new stations to update the NOAA 
Tidal Prediction Tables. A total of forty-two (42) stations 
needed to be occupied in Southeastern Alaska covering 
three (3) deployments of fourteen (14) stations each. Each 
deployment was a minimum of thirty-five (35) days. Three 

(3) of the sites were reference stations deployed for 
seventy (70) days. 
SCOPE AND APPROACH 

All meters and mooring equipment were government 
furnished. Upon delivery of all the equipment, EHI 
personnel made a thorough inspection of all 
instrumentation. Following inspection all the gear was 
packed in 20 ft containers, and these and the anchors were 

Vessel loaded with anchors and 
mooring equipment for initial 
deployment. 


shipped via barge freight. The containers remained in 
Alaska throughout the project to provide a secured storage 
location, as well as to use as a protected work area during 
each deployment cruise. Prior to each deployment, fresh 
batteries were installed and the compass calibrated for 
each current meter. Due to rough weather during the first 
deployment, current moorings were deployed at 14 stations 
consisting of a mixture of deployment 1 & 2 sites to take 
advantage of safer boating conditions in protected areas. 
CTD casts were collected for each deployment site. 

Reconnaissance measurements (depth and bottom 
substrate) were made during each deployment cruise of the 
stations for the follow-on deployment (e.g., recon of 
deployment 3 sites during deployment 2 cruise). 

RESULTS 

The project was 100% successful. All 42 moorings were 
recovered with full data sets. EHI scored high marks on 
the final project evaluation. NOAA commended EHI for 
displaying exceptional technical expertise and exceptional 
execution. The client found the entire project team was 
responsive and effective. 

Client Reference 

Mr. Marty Welch 

Center for Operational Oceanographic 

Products and Services 

NOS/NOAA 

(301) 713-2897 
Marty.Welch@noaa.gov 
Project Timeframe 

April – September 2006