a. It is not advisable for the United States to adopt a project 



at this time authorizing Feddral participation in the cost of protecting 

 and improving the Lake Erie shore of Ohio vrithin the area studied; 



b. No public interest is involved in the proposed improvements; 

 and 



c. No share of the expense should be borne by the United States, 



The Chief of Engineers concurred in the foregoing conclusions and 

 recommendations . 



OCEAN CITY, NEW JERSEY 



Ocean City is located on the coast of New Jersey about 3^ miles 

 northeast of Cape May, the southern tip of the State at the entrance to 

 Delaware Bay. It comprises the entire length of the barrier beach island 

 8 miles long known as Peck Beach. Great Egg and Corsons Inlets are 

 respectively the northeastern and southwestern boundaries of -Uie city 

 and island. The northeastern one-third of the island is the most develop- 

 ed portion. The total patronage of the resort is e stimated at 500,000 

 annually. The summer residents are estimated at 75jOOO, compared to the 

 permanent population 5,9^0. Summer weekend vacationists are estimated 

 at 20,000. The assessed valuation of property in the city in 19U9 was 

 nearly $17,000,000. About 36 percent of the ocean beach is owned by the 

 city and the remainder is privately owned. Between Surf Road and 12th 

 Street the city owns 31.7 percent of the shore frontage. 



The ocean tides at Ocean City are semi-diurnal, the mean range being 

 k feet and the spring range 5 feet. Tides exceeding 7 feet above mean 

 low water are rare. The maximum height of waves observed just offshore 

 was 8 feet. The direction of approach of waves close to shore is such 

 that littoral drift northeast of North Street is toward the inlet and 

 southwest of 5th Street is southwestward. The predominant direction of 

 drift in southern New Jersey is southerly, the apparent source of beach 

 material to the area being adjacent portions of the barrier beach to the 

 northeast. The rate of movement of material across Great Egg Inlet has 

 been irregular. Progressive improvements in the inlet region have re- 

 stricted the normal tendency of the inlet to migrate, resulting in a 

 change in the supply of material moving into the problem area. The 

 direction and intensity of wave action, as governed by bottom configuration, 

 and the paths of tidal currents, have become more restricted in zone of 

 shore influence due to limitations of former variability of channel 

 location. The deficiency in supply, averaging about 50,000 cubic yards 

 annually over the period from 1930 to 1950, resulted in recession of the 

 shore line so that the high water line at the time of the study, was 

 generally under or landward of the boardwalk as far south as 12th Street. 

 A groin system probably retarded the erosion to some extent, but the 

 beaches were unsatisfactory, 



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