CASE HISTORY OF MISSION BAY INLET SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

Abstract

The Mission Bay Inlet was designed as a "Non-Scouring" entrance channel by the Los Angeles District, Corps of Engineers, in 1946. Construction of the inlet was completed in 1959 and the entire project was completed in 1963. A channel with over twice the cross sectional area required by the "O'Brien" equation was developed to reduce the average cross-sectional tidal currents to less than two feet per second. The design depth of -20 feet MLLW eliminated bottom movement induced by wave action- except during the most severe storms. The jetties are sealed to the +4 foot elevation and extend to the -25 foot depth almost entirely eliminating the intrusion of littoral drift. The channel has shoaled at a rate of less than 20,000 cubic yards per year since final dredging in 1959) indicating the soundness of this concept. This case history was prepared under contract to the Coastal Engineering Research Center, U. S. Army, Corps of Engineers, and project data and aerial photographs were obtained from the Los Angeles District, U. S. Army, Corps of Engineers, and the City of San Diego.