The District and Division Engineers concluded that the Isles 

 Dernieres would probably continue to exist and provide protection for the 

 mainland for a nominal period of 100 years and that the Timbalier chain 

 will have a longer life expectancy; that the only plan of protection that 

 would be suitable for both would be the replenishment of the beaches with 

 an average annual deposition of about 1,200,000 cubic yards of material 

 from the offshore Gulf area for each of the two island chains; and that 

 the decision as to the degree of protection desired should be based on the 

 economic benefits to local interests. They recommended that no project be 

 adopted by the United States for stabilization and protection of the off- 

 shore islands in the area. The Beach Erosion Board concurred generally 

 in their conclusions and recommendations. The Board concluded that a plan 

 for completely stabilizing the island chains would involve raising the 

 backbone ridge of the islands by artificial fill to minimize damage by 

 overtopping, and artificial nourishment in sufficient quantity to stabilize 

 the Gulf shores of the islands. A partial plan to retard the deterioration 

 of the islands would comprise raising low sections of the backbone ridge 

 or low areas of potential breaching by artificial placement of fill, and 

 placing stockpiles of material on the Gulf shores to assist existing lit- 

 toral drift in stabilizing those shores. The minimum measures which would 

 be helpful in reducing deterioration would comprise placing any material 

 dredged in connection with dredging of canals to reinforce the backbone 

 ridge, encouraging mangrove growth by seeding or transplanting in the 

 marshy bay sides of the islands to reduce losses by overtopping, and pre- 

 venting any action in connection with oil drilling operations which would 

 make the backbone ridge more vulnerable to overtopping or breaching. The 

 Board found little public interest involved in the considered improvements 

 and recommended that shore prote-ction which may be undertaken by local 

 interests, based upon their own determination of economic justification, 

 be accomplished generally in accordance with the methods discussed in the 

 report. The Board further recommended that no project be adopted by the 

 United States at this time authorizing Federal participation in the costs 

 of measures for the stabilization of the shores within the area covered 

 by the report. The Chief of Engineers concurred in the views and recom- 

 mendations of the Beach Erosion Board. 



VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA 



The purpose of the study was to review the existing project and to 

 determine the extent, if any, of Federal participation in the cost of 

 periodic beach nourishment of the existing beach erosion control project, 

 in accordance with provisions of Public Law 826, 84th Congress. Virginia 

 Beach is located on the Atlantic Ocean in southeastern Virginia, about 3.5 

 miles south of the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, and 19 miles east of Norfolk, 

 Virginia. It is a summer resort with a permanent population of about 8,400, 

 but a maximum summer population of about 50,000. About 95 percent of the 

 shore frontage is publicly owned. 



75 



