STATE OF CONNECTICUT - HCUSATOMIC RIVER TO ASH CREKK 



The area studied comprises the shore of Long Island Sound between the 

 mouth of Housatonic River and the mouth of Ash Creek. It includes the 

 shores of the Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport, a total length 

 of about 12 miles. Bridgeport, at the west end of this shore area, is 

 about 50 miles east of New York City. The shore area is extensively developed 

 for residential use. The permanent population of Stratford and Bridgeport 

 totals about 192,000. There is a minor increase in the population of 

 Stratford in the summer. In Stratford there are two small town-owned beaches 

 used for recreational purposes, in addition to some town-owned frontage 

 which is leased for private residential use. In Bridgeport, the city owns 

 Pleasure Beach and Seaside Parks which are used for recreational purposes. 

 It also owns the headland shore of Grover Hill, which is not used. 



long Island Sound is a tidal arm of the Atlantic Ocean. Tides are 

 semi-diurnal, the mean range at Bridgeport being about 6.8 feet. The spring 

 range is about 8 feet. The maximum tide of record at Bridgeport was 



7 feet above mean high water. Tides 3 feet or more above mean high water- 

 occur about once a year. With a tidal stage of 3 feet above mean high water, 

 the maximum height of breakers landward of the low water line is about 



8 feet. Larger waves can reach the shore only during infrequent higher 

 tides. 



Ocean swells entering Long Island Sound between Race Point and Little 

 Gull Island may affect littoral processes, but the waves of primary 

 importance are those generated in the Sound. Ordinary short storm waves 

 cause littoral movement and offshore loss of beach material. The influence 

 of swells is probably insufficient to cause appreciable reuurn of material 

 from offshore by wave action. Storm waves which cause the greatest move- 

 ment of beach material are those from the east and southeast. The pre- 

 dominant direction of littoral drift is north along shores aligned generally 

 north and south, and west along shores aligned generally east and west. 



The study area is characterized by headlaris of unconsolidated glacial 

 material, from which wave-built bars or spits have been formed and the 

 landward areas generally have filled and become marshy. The headlands 

 formerly supplied ample material to the intervening beaches, but, except 

 east of Point No Point, the headlands are now generally protected by 

 seawalls and revetments. The supply of material has thus been reduced or 

 eliminated, and consequently the beaches have slowly deteriorated. Groins 

 have been found to be capable of causing minor accretion areas and 

 stabilizing a narrow band along the upper portion of the beach, but the 

 natural supply of material is insufficient for the formation of adequate 

 protective beaches by groins alone. The building and maintenance of 

 adequate beaches may be accomplished by artificial placement of sand. The 

 rate of loss of fill can be reduced by groins. 



The division engineer concluded that practicable plans which merit 

 consideration for the protection and improvement of beaches within the study 

 area are as follows; 



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