Sedimentation Solutions for Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point (MOTSU), North Carolina

The US Army's Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point (MOTSU) went into service in 1955, and serves as a military munitions terminal. The facility is located in Brunswick County, North Carolina, approximately 10 miles upstream of the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Shoaling issues have been a problem since the opening of the port. The objective of this work is three fold: reduce long term dredging costs, achieve operational readiness goals, and maintain or enhance environmental quality at MOTSU at the request of US Army Engineer District-Wilmington (USAED-SAW). The objective was achieved through numerical modeling, literature review, and sediment forecasting. This report documents the results of the numerical modeling study only. Two advantageous approaches for shoaling mitigation are recommended for further analysis, and those solutions could be combined to achieve an optimum dredging-reduction scheme. It is concluded that by integrating multiple solutions it is possible to create a cost-effective long-term shoaling- mitigation plan. The original document contains color images.