Analysis and Ranking of the Acoustic Disturbance Potential of ...

Report No. 6945
BBN Systems and Technologies Corporation
traffic near Kotzebue are secondary contributors. Some specific observations
for the Kotzebue Sound region are presented in the following discussion.
1) Kotzebue Sound: A considerable amount of small boat traffic
(generally consisting of large skiffs powered by single or twin outboard
engines in the 40-100 hp class) and some diesel-powered tugboat/barge traffic
has occurred in Kotzebue Sound for many years. Nearshore boat traffic has
increased substantially near Kotzebue and along the northern shore of the
sound (including Hotham Inlet) since a large July - August chum salmon
* (~ncorhynchus keta) fishery began expanding during the late 1970's. Tugboats
and barges deliver supplies to Selawik in Selawik Lake, the Elephant Point -
Buckland areas in Eschscholtz Bay, the village of Deering on the south shore
of the sound, and several larger camps at other locations on the north and
south shores of the sound several times each season. Many small boats also
regularly frequent nearshore waters near Deering, clusters of summer camps in
upper Eschscholtz Bay (e.g., Elephant Point), and many other traditional camps
scattered around the perimeter of the sound.
A considerable amount of daily low-level air traffic has also occurred
over the nearshore environments of the sound for many years, including single
and twin-engine Kotzebue-based private and charter aircraft traveling between
Kotzebue and outlying villages and fish camps (e .g . , Piper Cubs; Cessna 180's,
185's, 206's, 207's 402's; Aero Commanders; British Islanders; Beechcraft
18's; DeHavilland Canada Otters; similar makes and models of other aircraft).
Also, larger twin and multi-engine cargo and passenger aircraft (e.g., Douglas
DC-3's, DC-4's, DC-6's, DC-7's; Lockheed Electras; Fairchild F-27's; Hercules
C-130's; Boeing 727's, 737's) have used the Kotzebue airport every day for
years. In general, volumes and kinds of air traffic have increased during the
last ten years.
Although a "late-seasonn population of white whales has continued migrating
past Point Hope and Cape Lisburne, and overall numbers appear to be about
the same as they were during the 1970's (as suggested by some data obtained as
recently as 1987), far fewer animals have apparently been entering the inner
waters of Kotzebue Sound during recent years (J. Burns, pers. comrn. ) . The
apparent decline in numbers of whales using the inner sound (i.e., since about
1982) may be related to changing environmental conditions (e.g., silting-in of
some estuaries, changes in water temperatures and salinities). It also may be
related to increases in boat traffic and other noisy activities. However,
direct correlations between increases in noise-producing activities and
apparent decreases in whales in nearshore areas are difficult to formulate
because the situation has been continually confounded by on-going and probably
increasing subsistence hunting of animals in the inner sound. Direct harassment
caused by hunting may be a more important form of disturbance than any
recent increases in general boating, fishing, and flying activities. Hunting
effort, particularly incidental hunting effort, probably began increasing
during the early 1970's. The number and average affluence of people living in
the Kotzebue area has risen markedly during the last 10-15 years, and Kotzebue
recently surpassed Barrow in total population size.
See Table 5.1 for estimates of source types and numbers for this area.