Pebbly Beach to the east. A natural barrier consisting of a high-peaked 
shingle ridge backs the western half of Cape Hedge Beach and gradually 
flattens to the east. An unpaved road paralleling Pebbly Beach is’ sep- 
arated from the beach by a low shingle or cobble ridge and there is resi- 
dential development at Lands End at the eastern end of this pocket beach. 
The shores of the study area are directly exposed to waves from the 
Atlantic Ocean from the Southeast quadrant but are sheltered in varying 
degrees from other directions. Tides are semi-diurnal, the mean and spring 
ranges being respectively about 8.6 and 10 feet. Maximum tides are esti- 
mated at about 13 feet above mean low water. There is little evidence of 
a predominant direction of littoral drift, but rather that principal 
material movement is offshore and onshore. However, such evidence as is 
available indicates the predominant direction of alongshore movement would 
be toward the northeast. Sources of beach material have been the eroding 
rocky headlands and glacial overburden. Depletion of this material has 
reduced the supply, but the pocket beaches are reasonably stable. Widening 
of the beaches may be accomplished by artificial placement of sand. The 
rate of loss of beach material is presently low, but would probably be 
greater from a widened beach, 
The problem causing concern to the cooperating agency consisted of 
erosion of the beaches, particularly during storms, and damages to existing 
protective structures and development due to wave attack. Undermining or 
overtopping of beaches by wave run-up with accompanying deposition of beach 
material and debris on adjacent roads and developed areas also occurs along 
the unprotected frontage. At Long Beach a tidal drainage creek meanders 
across the east end of the beach. Reconstruction of the failed portions 
of the seawall at Long Beach and placement of a stone apron in front of 
its seaward face affords adequate protection to the Long Beach developed 
areas, but the cooperating agency desired a plan for improving the beach 
for possible future use. 
The Division Engineer developed a plan for improvement of Long Beach 
consisting of widening the beach to a 150-foot width between the seawall 
and mean high water and construction of a training jetty at the mouth of 
the tidal creek, and found that overtopping of the beach and transport of 
beach material onto backshore improvements at Cape Hedge Beach and Pebbly 
Beach can be prevented or reduced by construction of barriers to landward 
movement. The Division Engineer and Beach Erosion Board concluded that the 
improvement and protective plans considered cannot be justified by evalu- 
ated benefits and recommended that no project be adopted at this time by 
the United States for the protection or improvement of Long, Cape Hedge or 
Pebbly Beaches at Rockport, Massachusetts. They further recommended that 
protective measures which may be undertaken by local interests, based upon 
their own determination of economic justification, be accomplished in 
accordance with plans and methods considered in this report. The Chief of 
Engineers concurred in the views and recommendations of the Beach Erosion 
Board, 
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