Cow Bayou and Adams Bayou flood gate navigation study : ship-simulation report

As part of the Orange County Project of the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Program, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Galveston District, has proposed the construction of two sector-gate, flood-protection structures in Orange County, Texas, to improve existing flood-protection systems and mitigate storm-surge penetration in the areas of Cow Bayou and Adams Bayou. The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) assisted the Galveston District in evaluating the safety and feasibility of these two structures over a two-week period in October 2023 at the ERDC Watercraft and Ship Simulator (WaSS) facility. The proposed designs were evaluated by four tow boat captains who are highly experienced in transiting the Sabine River, Cow Bayou, Adams Bayou, and the surrounding area. Assessment of the safety and feasibility of the proposed structures was accomplished through analysis of ship simulations completed by the pilots. As a result of these simulations, a second set of simulations was completed for Adams Bayou in October 2024 to evaluate moving the proposed gate location, approximately 600 ft inland.