a. It is inadvisable for the United States to adopt projects authorizing 
Federal participation in the cost of protecting and improving the shores within 
the area studied ; 
b. The public interest involved in the proposed improvements for these 
shores is small; and 
c. No share of the expense should be borne by the United States. 
The Board recommended that. no project be adopted by the United States at 
this time authorizing Federal participation in the cost of measures for the 
protection and improvement of the shores within the area covered by this 
report. 
OHIO SHORELINE OF LAKE ERIE = SANDUSKY TO VERMILION 
The area studied is located in Erie County on the south shore of Lake 
Erie from about 27 to 57 miles west of Cleveland, Ohio. It lies between 
Cedar Point at the entrance to Sandusky Bay and Vermilion River, a distance 
of about 20 miles. Sandusky Bay, Vermilion Harbor and Huron Harbor, the 
latter located at the mouth of Huron River near the center of the study area, 
have all been improved by the United States for navigation. Erie County had 
a population of about 3,200 in 190. The cities of Sandusky and the lake 
front townships in the study area had a combined population of about 32,000 
with an estimated increase of 250,000 vacationists during the summer months. 
The property along the shore line of the studv area has been developed mainly 
for private residential. agricultural md recreational purposes. Inland areas 
are devoted mainly to the agricultural uses. The shore is publicly owned at 
the Huron Waterworks and the State Roadside Park at Huron. These publicly 
owned properties are adequately protected by seawalis. They have no beaches 
nor bathing facilities. Beaches suitable for recreational use are located 
at Cedar Point and east of Huron Harbor. The pumping station at the Plum 
Brook Ordnance Works is a Federal installation, and is in need of further 
protection. Pollution found in water samples taken at the mouths of Huron 
and Vermilion Rivers in 1950 indicate that use of the intervening shore 
for bathing would be inadvisable. No apparent hazards from sewage contamina-= 
tion were found in lake waters along the Cedar Point Beach. \ 
The westerly 7.5 miles of the study area consists of a low lying barrier 
beach, separating Sandusky Bay and adjoining swamp land from Lake Erie. In 
general the beach is composed of fine sand moved westward by littoral 
currents from the eroding shores to the east. The shore line of the remainder 
of the study area consists principally of eroding biuffs of clay, silt, 
and sand varying from 10 to 30 feet in height with little or no beaches, 
except where littoral drift has been arrested by structures. Shale outcrops 
near low lake level appear northwest of Huron. It has been estimated that 
about 10 per cent of the bluff material is suitable for beach building. 
Bast of the Huron River and the Sandusky Bay entrance good beaches have formed 
by accretion caused by the jetties at the east sidesof these entrmces. The 
study area is divided into two parts by the harbor structures at Huron, and 
the entire area is separated from adjacent areas by structures at Vermilion 
Harbor to the east and the Sandusky Bay East jetty to the west. Material 
52 
