about 215,000. There is little seasonal change in population. The 

 principal publicly ovmed sections of shore in the study area are Calf 

 Pasture Beach Park and Bailey Beach in Norwalk, Peartree Point and 

 Weed Beach in Darien, Cove Island, Cummings Park, West Beach, Dyke 

 Park and Southfield Park in Stanford, and Greenwich Point, Byram 

 Park and Little Captain Island in Greenwich, 



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

 are semi-diurnal, the mean range increasing from 7.0 feet^at Saugatuck 

 River to 7,4 feet at Greenwich. The spring ranges are respectively 

 8.3 aind 8,7 feet. The maximum tide of record at Stamford was 13,8 feet 

 above mean low water or 6.6 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 

 probably have negligible effect on the shores of the study area near 

 the west end of the sound. The waves of primary importance are those 

 generated in the sound. Ordinary short storm waves cause littoral move- 

 ment and offshore loss of beach material. The influence of swells is 

 probably insufficient to cause appreciable return of material from 

 offshore by wave action. Waves which cause the greatest movement of 

 beach material are those from the east. The predominant direction of 

 littoral drift is northward along shores aligned generally north and 

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



The study area is characterized by rocky headlands and headlands 

 of unconsolidated glacial material. In a few localities wave-built bars 

 or spits have been formed. The headlands formerly supplied material to 

 the intervening beaches, but are now generally eroded to bed rock or 

 otherwise protected. 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 in 

 some sections, 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 can be accomplished by 

 artificial placement of sand. The rate of loss of fill can be reduced 

 by groins. 



The division engineer and Beach Erosion Board concluded that 

 practicable plans which merit consideration for the protection and improve- 

 ment of beaches within the study area are as follows: 



(a) Calf Pasture Beach Park -> East Shore, Norwalk. Widening 

 approximately 2,200 feet of beach to a 125-foot width by direct place- 

 ment of sand fill and lengthening two existing riprap groins to a 

 400-foot length; 



48 



