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<br />
<br />Navigation
<br />
<br />Alternatives - Commercial Navigation
<br />
<br />The trend toward larger vessles, particularly bulk
<br />carriers and oil tankers, is well establish~d. Significant
<br />economies result from transporting petroleum in
<br />larger ships and, as the capacity of the ships increases,
<br />so does their draft. Petroleum tankers in service today
<br />on the world's trade routes cannot enter the Region's
<br />major ports fully loaded because of insufficient
<br />channel depths; much larger vessels are forecast for
<br />the future. Some important decisions must be made
<br />in respect to how our ports are to be developed to
<br />serve this vital trade.
<br />Another major trend in commercial shipping. is
<br />toward specialized and rapid cargo.handling methods
<br />that greatly reduce the time a ship must remain in
<br />port. Dry.bulk carriers, container.ships, ships designed
<br />to handle roll-on and roll.off equipment, and lighters.
<br />aboard-ship (LASH) which are self-powered barges
<br />designed to be carried on an oceangoing mother ship,
<br />are a few of the specialized vessels that are in exis-
<br />tence or are forecast for the near future: These
<br />alternative methods of handling cargo allow a far
<br />greater tonnage of cargo to be discharged or loaded in
<br />a given period of time; but for efficient operation
<br />adequate cargo-handling area must be available at
<br />the berth.
<br />Future studies are needed in the interrelated areas
<br />of concern, such as the possible alternative of
<br />offshore or centralized terminals for tankers, rather
<br />than terminals within the existing protected water
<br />area of San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles-Long
<br />Beach harbors, and the problems associated with a
<br />possible accident to one of the large tankers.
<br />
<br />Correlation of Resources and Needs
<br />(Between Regions) - Commercial Navigation
<br />
<br />Commercial navigation existed on the Lower
<br />Colorado River for about 60 years, roughly 1850 to
<br />1910; however, it was of importance for only about
<br />30 years within this time period. Projections indicate
<br />that future needs for navigation consist entirely of
<br />recreational navigation facilities. However, if
<br />substantial quantities of bulk commodities are
<br />generated in the area, consideration should be given
<br />to developing a deep-draft harbor at Yuma, Arizona,
<br />and connecting it with the Gulf of California.
<br />
<br />FACILITIES FOR SMALL BOATS
<br />
<br />Status - Small Boat Facilities
<br />
<br />Coastal navigable waters provide about 25 percent
<br />of all recreation boating iu the California Region.
<br />This covers boating in the Pacific Ocean, the
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<br />contiguous bays, the navigable portions of the
<br />Sacramento-San Joaquin River systems, and the lower
<br />reaches of the Colorado River.
<br />Existing facilities include small craft harbors,
<br />marinas within commercial harbors, launching ramps
<br />for trailered boats, and moorings for transient boats.
<br />These have been developed by Federal, State, and
<br />local agencies and by private interests, independently
<br />or jointly. In 1965 there were available 41,220
<br />berths, 7,900 moorings for transient boats, and 760
<br />boat launching lanes. The 1965 deficiency was
<br />estimated to be 10,320 berths and 1,350 transient
<br />moorings.
<br />
<br />Needs and Problems - Small Boat Facilities
<br />
<br />Future needs and requirements are expressed in
<br />the facilities necessary to accommodate the present
<br />and projected number of shallow-draft boats. Existing
<br />facilities (1965) for berthing, launching, and transient
<br />moorings for these small craft would have to be
<br />expanded about six times to meet the need projected
<br />in 2020. Major factors causing the expanded need for
<br />facilities are the threefold increase in population
<br />projected for the coastal areas and the increase in
<br />disposable income and leisure time, which will permit
<br />more people to participate in recreation boating.
<br />Boating on ocean shoreline waters, and particularly
<br />coastal cruising by recreation boaters, is now severely
<br />constrained by a lack of enough harbors-of.refuge
<br />along the coast.
<br />The facilities to provide for the projected
<br />shallow.draft small boat population are summarized
<br />by time frame in table 13.
<br />
<br />Framework Plan Response -
<br />Small Boat Facilities
<br />
<br />Existing harbors and marinas that could be
<br />enlarged and improved, and also likely new sites for
<br />harbors, were considered. Ecologically valuable
<br />coastal wetlands and marshes were avoided in
<br />preparation of the plan; this about doubled the
<br />estimated cost of proposed facilities, but was
<br />considered the only acceptable alternative to
<br />adversely affecting unique tidal areas.
<br />About 1,800 acres of protected water area were
<br />used for berthing in 1965. An estimated t'?tal 01
<br />about 2,700 acres of protected water area is required
<br />for berthing in 1980; 5,200 acres in 2000; and 7,500
<br />acres in 2020. Additional protected water area is
<br />required for entrance channels, navigation channels,
<br />turning basin and anchorage areas. The plan includes
<br />13 new harbors-of.refuge, spaced about 35 nautical
<br />miles apart along the mainland coast, and three
<br />harbors.of.refuge in the Channel Islands. The coastal
<br />chain of harbors.of.refuge is proposed to alleviate
<br />hazards to small craft and to enhance boating
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