Design of Entrance Channel Improvements for Ludington Harbor, Michigan: Hydraulic Model Investigation

A 1:100-scale model of Ludington Harbor, Michigan, including about two-thirds of Pere Marquette Lake and sufficient offshore area of Lake Michigan to permit generation of the required test waves, was used to investigate the effects of a proposed harbor entrance improvement plan on wave action in the harbor. The basic improvement plan consisted of removing 100 ft from the outer end of the south breakwater, deepening the entrance to 29 ft over a width of 600 ft, removing the existing south jetty, and widening the inner entrance channel to 230 ft at a depth of 27 ft. Modifications to the basic plan which were tested consisted of several wave absorber designs along the inner entrance channel and raising the crown elevation of the north and south breakwaters to prevent wave overtopping. A 50-ft-long wave generator and a computer-controlled electrical wave height measuring and recording system were used in model operation.