Navigating the Storm: Improving Safety and Stability in the US Coast Guard Sector Eastern Great Lakes Boat Basin

The boat basin of the US Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Eastern Great Lakes is exposed to harsh weather conditions year-round. The facility’s location, at the mouth of the Buffalo River Channel in Buffalo, New York, on the shores of Lake Erie, subjects the basin to a convergence of locally generated short-period waves from the north and the diffraction of long-period waves from the lake’s western exposure. The basin’s vertical-walled structure intensifies wave reflection, causing a seiche effect that threatens the integrity of USCG facilities and complicates navigation and operations. In 2020, the USCG Civil Engineering Unit Cleveland collaborated with the US Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District (USACE-LRB), to assess wave dynamics using wave gauges. In 2022, the USCG further analyzed the wave conditions and evaluated various wave-attenuating systems using advanced modeling tools to identify the optimal solution, considering regulatory compliance, budgetary constraints, and operational requirements.