How visible would the wind turbines be while within Wigi/Humboldt Bay?

If the proposed Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal (1) is constructed and becomes operational, wind turbines would be very visible within Wigi (2)/Humboldt Bay. The wind turbines could be upwards of 900 feet tall, and would be constructed on the Samoa Peninsula north of the Samoa Pulp Mill and south of the Samoa Bridge. The tallest structure in Humboldt County is currently the Samoa Pulp Mill, which stands 280 feet tall and is visible around the Bay. Click here to learn more about the proposed Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal.

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Offshore wind turbines would be constructed vertically at the Heavy Lift Marine Terminal, placed vertically on top of floating foundations, and then placed in Wigi/Humboldt Bay. Once in the Bay, the turbines would either be towed directly out the mouth of the Bay or placed in temporary “wet storage” in the Bay while waiting for better ocean conditions. In either case, the turbines would be highly visible until they leave the mouth of the Bay and make the trip to their final destination offshore, such that there may be several turbines waiting in the Bay at any given time during the multi-year construction of the proposed Humboldt offshore wind farms. Turbines may also periodically have to be transported back to Wigi/Humboldt Bay for maintenance.

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On July 23, 2024, the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation & Conservation District held a special meeting at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka to unveil visual simulations (3) of what the wind turbines would look like while being assembled at the terminal on the Samoa Peninsula. The visual simulations include a sequence of views of various stages of development. The images below show maximal activity at full build-out (excluding wet storage), though the link above also shows simulations of more typical days during initial operational phases. Future simulations may include wet storage, which would generate additional visual impacts beyond what is shown below. Analysis of visual impacts is required by the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Click here to learn more about what the wind turbines would look like once deployed in the Humboldt Wind Energy Area (4) 20 miles offshore, and take a look at the visualizations below: