BEACH EROSION STUDIES 
Beach erosion control studies of specific localities in the United 
States and its territories are usually made by the Corps of Engineers under 
provisions of Section 2 of the River and Harbor Act approved 3 July 1930 
and amended by Public Law 87-874 approved 23 October 1962. Prior to the 
1962 amendments to the law, beach erosion control studies could be author- 
ized for specific problem areas by the Chief of Engineers under authority 
of the Secretary of the Army and were made in cooperation with appropriate 
agencies of the various States. By executive ruling the costs of these co- 
operative studies were divided equally between the United States and. the 
cooperating agencies. The law as presently amended provides that beach 
erosion control studies now be made as Federal surveys wholly at Federal 
expense and such surveys be authorized by Resolution of the Public Works 
Committee of either the U. S. Senate or House of Representatives. Those 
studies still in progress at the time of adoption of the amendments will 
be completed on the cooperative basis, but new studies are authorized by 
Resolution as Federal surveys. Information concerning the initiation of 
such studies may be obtained from any District or Division Engineer of the 
Corps of Engineers. After a report on a beach erosion control study has 
been transmitted to Congress, a summary thereof is included in the next 
issue of this Bulletin. Summaries of reports transmitted to Congress 
since the last issue of the Bulletin and lists of completed and author- 
ized studies follow. 
SUMMARIES OF REPORTS TRANSMITTED TO CONGRESS 
ROCKPORT , MASSACHUSETTS 
The purpose of the investigation was to determine the best method 
of restoring the beach and protecting the beach and cottage development. 
The study area, located on the Atlantic Ocean shore in Essex County, Massa- 
chusetts, about 30 miles northeast of Boston, comprises about 1.5 miles of 
the southeast shore of Cape Ann between Brier Neck and Lands End, about 
500 feet of which is in the city of Gloucester and the remainder in the 
town of Rockport. In 1960 the permanent population of Essex County was 
about 569,000. The population of Rockport and Gloucester is about 30,000, 
but is greatly increased by summer residents. The study area included 
three barrier pocket beaches known as Long Beach, Cape Hedge Beach and 
Pebbly Beach. Most of the shore is in public ownership, but the backshore 
lots at Long Beach are leased for private use which limits the access to 
the public beach. Long Beach is developed with resort commercial enter- 
prises along the private frontage in Gloucester and summer cottages along 
the remaining frontage. The developed areas in Rockport are protected by 
a continuous concrete seawall, portions of which were rebuilt in 1959 after 
severe damage in an April 1958 storm. A narrow tidal creek separates Long 
Beach from Cape Hedge Beach to the east. There is no development at Cape 
Hedge Beach, but there is some development consisting of inns and resi- 
dences at the privately owned rocky promontory between this beach and 
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