Changing course.

• Author: Gillespie, Mark
• Position: Construction of a functional seaport at the Snake River in Nome, Alaska

After a century of landing all sorts of cargo over the beach or through the twisting mouth of the Snake River, Nome looks toward finally getting a functional seaport.

For almost a century, seafarers plying the Bering Strait faced deadly hazards simply finding a place to moor their ships. But, a $19.2 million upgrade to the Port of Nome will change all that by altering the course of a river to save lives and stimulate private growth in a sparse, government-based Bush economy.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in December wrapped up a reconnaissance study to determine if the benefits to the Nome fleet are worth the cost. Several past studies have Shown inadequate traffic to warrant construction of a new port; but increased barge traffic and bustling new fisheries have changed the equation. Corps engineers now figure a $300,000 benefit in overall operational expenses weighed against the savings in lost time, vessel damage and liability.

After six months of initial reconnaissance, the Corps now moves on to its feasibility study, a $615,000 process which will determine the specifics of how the new port entrance will be constructed. According to study manager Sofia Troutman, the Corps hastened its first look at the Nome port upgrades in a new effort toward more efficient government.

"Some projects have taken up to 10 years or more to get to a feasibility study, so this is an expedited study," she said. "Nome will be an example of one of the ones we'll do faster and cheaper."

The basics of the new port entrance include straightening the Snake River, the mouth of which has long served as Nome's harbor. A channel cut into a sand spit will bypass two right-angle bends near the river's confluence with the ocean. Along with the existing 2,712-foot causeway, another jetty would extend pincer-like to protect the entrance from wave erosion and sedimentation.

The Corps was attracted to the project because it will actually keep sandbars from building up at the jetty entrance, reducing the cost of maintenance. The single jetty will allow sedimentation to collect on the beach between the harbor entrance and the causeway, where it will be dredged up and used for sanding the roads and filling underground utility trenches.

An alternate plan would create a small boat harbor cradled in a branching breakwater along the causeway.

The feasibility study will include anecdotal surveys of mariners, barge captains, commercial fishermen and skiff pilots, among others. The Corps will look at land ownership issues, perform underwater studies, and build a scale model of the proposed port in a special wave tank in Alexandria, Virginia.

"We'll be constructing a model - similar to a model airplane or car - of the sand spit, the causeway and the river," said Corps engineer Ed Sorenson. The wave tank will simulate sea currents and winds. Besides helping engineers understand Nome's problems, the model is a persuasive tool, within driving distance of the nation's decision-makers in Washington, D.C.

The City of Nome will pay half the cost of the feasibility study in cash and in-kind services, according to port consultant Paul Fuhs, who has devised a plan that will shave a full-year off the target groundbreaking date.

Once the feasibility study is finished, and construction begins, Nome will borrow the $19.2...