A study of vessel wakes in sensitive inland waterways

During the 2007/08 academic year, four UBC Mechanical Engineering undergraduate students completed a study and design project analyzing the impact of waves generated from various boats on nesting water foul along the Columbia River in the interior of BC. A testing apparatus was designed and used to measure the wakes produced by various types of boats commonly seen on the Columbia River. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide Transport Canada with enough scientific data to make an informed decision of whether or not boat traffic on the Columbia River in these sensitive areas should be regulated. This document outlines the findings from this wake study. In addition, the paper presents the design of an in-situ wave height sensor for river installation and the design of a sensor for measuring the number of boats passing a given section of river.