Figure 17. — Spartina altemiflora transplantings on recent hydraulically deposited spoil bank. 



We are also experimenting with a synthetic 

 fibrous material (fig. 18) to determine if it 

 can, under certain circumstances, be sub- 

 stituted for natural vegetation. This material 

 was attached to piers, bulkheads, and along 

 barren shorelines to determine whether it 

 would attract microfaxina, penaeid shrimp, 

 and other important estuarine species. Samples 

 of the biota taken under and in the nnaterial 

 were consistently more productive than 

 samples from nonvegetated areas. The artifi- 

 cial habitat appears to be more attractive to 

 some fornns of marine life (including penaeid 

 shrimp) than the natural habitat devoid of 

 vegetation. 



Texas Coast Hurricane Study Project 



Considerable effort was devoted to planning 

 and negotiating with the Corps of Engineers 

 for appropriate hydraulic model tests that 

 will assess the practicability of hurricane 

 protection plans for the Galveston Bay area. 

 The Corps of Engineers has constructed two 

 hydraulic models to test inland penetration 

 of hurricane surges and to determine how 

 the proposed hurricane protection structures 

 will affect the hydrology of Galveston Bay. 



The small-scale model (scale: l:3,000hori- 

 zontal; 1:100 vertical) will be used to study 

 the penetration of stornn surges. It will also 

 be used to assess, by measuring water eleva- 

 tion, structural requirements in San Luis 



Tidal Pass to provide for the existing tidal 

 range. 



The larger scale Houston Ship Channel 

 model (scale: 1:600 horizontal; 1:60 vertical) 

 will be used to test and develop structures 

 for hurricane protection that will not alter 

 significantly the existing hydrology in the 

 bay systen-i (fig. 19). Fish and wildlife interests 

 have selected the water year 1965 (October 1, 

 1964, to September 30, 1965) to representbase 

 conditions for model testing. After verification 

 of base conditions in the model, the hurricane 

 protection plan will be introduced and the 

 base period test repeated. Comparison of 

 water elevation and salinity with and without 

 the hurricane protection plan will provide a 

 measure of change to be expected in the bay 

 system. Through this cooperative effort, a 

 proposal may be developed that will not only 

 provide hurricane protection, but also will not 

 significantly alter existing conditions. 



A series of tests will be run in the large 

 model to reflect partial diversion of the 

 Trinity River waters to the Houston Ship 

 Channel where they would enter the bay. The 

 base-year period will be tested with and without 

 the hurricane protection plan in place. If 

 major hydrological changes occur with the 

 protection plan in place, additional tests will 

 be made with the necessary adjustments to 

 n-iaintain desired conditions. 



Dye studies in which industrial and domestic 

 pollution are sinnulated will be included in all 



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