Prior Improvements 



A hurricane in 1926 caused serious erosion of the beach between 

 the rock reef and the location of the lighthouse. In 1930 Federal 

 funds were made available to construct a rubble-mound type jetty ex>- 

 tending southeastward 260 feet from the lighthouse to the rock reef. 

 A short time after completion, the jetty had impounded littoral drift 

 from the north and the shore line had readjusted its alinement with 

 the rock reef at the end of the jetty. The shore line has been 

 reasonably stable since that time. 



In 19U6 and 19U7 about 100,000 cubic yards of material was 

 dredged from Hillsboro Bay to fill low lands on the south side of the 

 bay. The deepening of the bay (to depths of about 15 to 20 feet) 

 resulted in the bay acting as a settling basin which in turn deepened 

 the inlet channel. With the inlet open to the intracoastal waterway, 

 boat facilities in the bay were enlarged. The impounding capacity 

 of the bay was being decreased by sand entering from the north during 

 the winter season, while during the summer season due to a reversal 

 of drift, sand entered the bay from the south. By the winter of 

 1950-51 the sand spit on the south side of the inlet had eroded from 

 about 100 feet in width to less than 25 feet in width at the inlet. 

 This erosion was caused by deflection of southward drifting sand into 

 the bay with no supply of material coming across the inlet to nourish 

 the spit. 



As the accretion in the bay and inlet continued, navigation was 

 more impaired. In the spring of 1951 the local Inlet Improvements 

 Association cut an opening through the sand bar by dragline and 

 excavated the channel along the north side of the inlet. The excavated 

 sand was piled along the lighthouse jetty. At the same time on the 

 south side of the inlet a timber wall was constructed (of piling and 

 horizontal planks) in an attempt to control the erosion to the south 

 of the inlet, but it proved very temporary in nature. 



In June 1951 the Corps of Engineers made an examination of the 

 inlet and in January 1952 made available $2,000 for the removal of 

 boulders from the channel. The boulders were exposed when- the examina- 

 tion took place, but by the following winter When the project got 

 under way the boulders were covered by sand. Although sand removal 

 was not authorized, it was found necessary to remove some sand in 

 order to reach the boulders. A cut about k0 feet in width was made 

 through the sand bar located across the mouth of the inlet. Prior 

 to this excavation littoral drift had formed a sand bar which connected 

 the exposed portions of the rock reef north and south of the inlet. 

 With the main channel almost completely closed, a secondary channel 

 had formed behind the bar running southward behind the offshore rock 



