Dynamics of coastal accumulative forms and the experience of improving navigation conditions at the Palana River mouth (northwestern Kamchatka)

The village of Palana is situated on the north-eastern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk at the mouth of the same-name river. Palana is an important fishing center of the Kamchatka region. The river mouth is blocked by an accumulative barrier bar, the morphodynamics of which makes the navigation rather difficult. The article deals with possible improvements of navigable conditions in the estuary. The work is based on the analysis of archive and published materials, space images, the results of our fieldwork and modeling. Three types of morphodynamic evolution were identified, namely: 1) consecutive elongation of the spit to the south-south-west at 100‒150 m/year on the average; 2) spit increase in the same direction by 400‒600 m and more per year; and 3) relative stability of the spit. Elongation of the spit to the south-south-west is a natural phenomenon. The maximum length of the spit was 2.8 km. On rare occasions (several times in a century) the estuary spit was broken and the channel straightened due to natural reasons, most likely, a significant increase in river runoff during seasonal floods. In addition, the mouth of the Palana River was artificially straightened several times. After natural or anthropogenic breaking of the spit the development cycle in the river mouth restarts. Sediments for the elongation of the spit come from the underwater coastal slope and the active cliffs on the abrasion segment of the coast to the north of the river mouth; the role of river sediment is insignificant. When the tip of the spit gets closer to rocks and stones to the south of the river mouth it threatens the local navigation. The only way to settle the problem is to control the length of the spit. For the purpose, recommendations were developed, with due account of material and technical resources available in the settlement and the practical experience. We specified the prerequisites for hydrotechnical measures, the most favorable time for their implementation and the method of constructing a new breach.

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