Bathymetry and acoustic backscatter: Elwha River Delta, Washington

Between February 22 and March 3, 2010, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC), acquired bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data from the Elwha River Delta, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington, under PCMSC Field Activity ID S-6-10-PS. Three ancillary surveys were conducted when sea conditions were too rough for surveying outside the harbor breakwaters. The first ancillary survey was of the area surrounding the abandoned Rayonier Pier site in Port Angeles Harbor, a former log-storage facility on the southern side of Ediz Hook near the Port Angeles Coast Guard Station. Finally, several lines of bathymetry and backscatter data were collected on the outer face of Ediz Hook as the vessel transited to and from the Elwha River Delta. These data were collected to inspect failure features along the northern edge of Ediz Hook that were first observed in 2005 during USGS cruise K-1-05-PS.
The surveys were conducted using the R/V Parke Snavely outfitted with an interferometric sidescan sonar for swath mapping and real-time kinematic navigation equipment for accurate shallow water operations. This report provides these data in a number of different formats, as well as a summary of the mapping mission, maps of bathymetry and backscatter, and Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata.