On Feb 5, Surfrider met with Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) and state agency staff to discuss potential recreation and public safety impacts of the proposed wave energy development off Reedsport. The meeting was a chance to provide input, present concerns, and request additional information. Most input received on the project thus far has been very favorable, but recreational, ecological, and public safety issues still need to be addressed. At this juncture, it seems unlikely that wave height reduction will be a major concern. The project area is north of Umpqua river mouth and the "wave shadow" would not overlap with prime locations for virtually any swell direction including NW. Within the "shadow"(north spit sand dunes), height reduction would not likely be significant for the full array of 200 buoys, although more info on this is needed. The issue of behavioral response of sharks to ambient electromagnetic fields was also discussed. While no available science indicates there is elevated risk for surfers or swimmers, no studies indicate that there is not. Accordingly, Oregon Chapter is making formal requests to OPT and OSU to support investigation of this important research question. Also, Oregon Chapter is participating in a science conference this spring discussing potential ecological impacts of project. For more info on ecological issues see first comment to this post. Big thanks to Stiv and Lloyd for their continuing research support on this issue.
