A Wave Resource Assessment for Yakutat, Alaska

A 1 year record of wave spectra (wave direction, significant wave height and period) from an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) deployed in 40 m of water off of Yakutat's Cannon Beach shows a wave climate dominated by storm induced waves with maximum, winter time, wave heights exceeding 6 m. Wave direction in this shallow location aligns with the local coastline. The average annual wave energy is 19.2 kW/m with average peak values of 35 kW/m during Jan.-Dec. and lowest average values of <10 kW/m during May-June-July. A 10 year wave climatology was generated for the region using a coarse, regional SWAN domain while a fine scale SWAN domain was used to estimate the wave spectra adjacent to the coast and in shallower depths where direct measurements of waves presents significant challenges. Independent measurements of significant wave height from the ADCP and the two closest NDBC buoys show good agreement amongst one another and with the model simulations. For the short period for which directional spectra are available from one of the nearby NDBC buoys, model simulations and NDBC show good agreement. These observations of waves and currents represent the first in-situ measurements from a shallow location along the Gulf Coast in the vicinity of Yakutat. The observations were conducted as part of a resource assessment to determine if harnessing wave energy was a viable means of powering the community of Yakutat.