(3) Protection against vave action by breakwaters . In 

 areas susceptible to heavy wave attack, both during noimal and 

 hurricane conditions j breakwaters may be required to protect small 

 craft and shorefront property against wave action. Studies of 

 breakwaters have been requested for the protection of Bristol Harbor, 

 .an area highly vulnerable to wave attack. 



(h) Protection against erosion by low walls and bulkheads . 

 Flood waters and wave action cause widespread erosion of exposed 

 shores. Many owners of shorefront properties have constructed 

 concrete walls or bulkheads to protect against erosion by waves 

 and storms. These structures, costing as much as $100 per linear 

 foot, are subject to overtopping during major hurricanes, necessit- 

 ating costly repair or rebuilding. Although low walls and bulkheads 

 are highly practical for individual shorefront properties, in no 

 sense can they provide adequate protection against tidal flooding. 



d. Large-scale tidal flood barriers . A barrier, or series 

 of barriers, stretching across such an indentation as Narragansett 

 Bay, would protect the entire area above itself. Such a structure, 

 if gated, could be designed to entirely prevent the entry of the 

 tidal surge into the protected areaj or, if provided with properly 

 designed openings and placed below a sufficiently large area of water, 

 would so restrict the entrance of the tidal surge as to reduce flood 

 tides far below damage levels. The practicability of large-scale 

 barriers of this kind depends upon extremely complex requirements 

 of length, depth, tidal and current conditions, and the needs of 

 navigation. The narrow passages and openings in Narragansett Bay 

 provide a variety of natural sites for such barriers. 



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