Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Statement, Oakland Inner Harbor, California, Deep-Draft Navigation.

The purpose of this study is to investigate navigation conditions at Oakland Inner Harbor and to determine whether the provision for improvement of existing deep-draft channels is advisable. Oakland Inner Harbor Channel provides deep-draft access for the Port of Oakland. It wad found that the growth of foreign and coastwise shipments and the introduction of larger vessels in the World Pacific Basin Fleet have rendered the existing Federal project channel and turning basin inadequate and inefficient for modern transportation needs. Traveling and maneuvering of the containerships which must await high tide to navigate the channel. Various solutions to the navigation problems in the Oakland Inner Harbor Channel were analyzed. The most practicable and feasible plan consists of deepening the existing Oakland Inner Harbor Channels, from -35 feet, mean lower low water MLLW, to -43 feet, MLLW, and widening the channel at a number of places to permit optimum utility of restricted channel dimensions. The estimated total cost of the selected plan is 27.1 million. Using a 7-78 percent discount rate and 50-year period of economic evaluation, the annual charges would be 2.2 million, and the annual project benefits are 34.9 million. Therefore, the benefitcost ratio would be 15.9 to 1. It is recommended that the foregoing plan for improvement be adopted as a modification of the existing Federal project for Oakland Inner Harbor. Author