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the west,, a distance of about 27 miles „ The general direction of the 

 coast in this area is east andwest. A chain of low, narrow, sand islands 

 lies from 8 to 12 miles off the area, separated from the mainland by 

 Mississippi Sound „ 



The principal cities and towns in Harrison County are Biloxi, Gulf- 

 port, Long Beach, and Pass Christian, all on the coast within the study 

 area. They are interconnected by D. So Highway 90, the main highway along 

 the Gulf coast from Florida to Louisiana, also by a secondary road and 

 by the main line of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, In 194-0 the 

 combined population of these communities was about 37,500, The entire 

 area is a summer resort center. Fine summer houses are maintained there 

 by residents of inland cities and other States, Hotels and recreational 

 facilities are also available. 



For almost its entire length across Harrison County, U, S. Highway 90 

 lies close to the Gulf and is protected by sea walls. The most important 

 of these is the reinforced concrete step- type wall built by the county 

 between 1925 and 1928, Its total length is 24. miles „ This wall consists 

 of sections 28 feet long supported by square concrete piles and by a con- 

 tinuous concrete sheet pile curtain wall at the toe» Part of the wall 

 has a top elevation of 11 feet and part 8 feet above mean sea level. A 

 concrete sidewalk 5 feet wide adjoins the top of the wall throughout its 

 length. Sand backfill for the sea wall and adjacent roadway was dredged 

 from Mississippi Sound about 1,000 feet offshore. The total cost of the 

 protective walls was $3^400,000., 



The bottom of Mississippi Sound off the sea wall consists of medium 

 to fine sand with a small percentage of silt and clay. It is reported 

 that a sandy beach existed in front of the sea wall when it was built. The 

 only beaches in front of the sea wall at present are at Biloxi and Gulf- 

 port, where local interests have created small beaches by dredging sand 

 from offshore. These beaches are publicly-owned and the public has un- 

 restricted access to them at all times. In 1936 a system of concrete sheet- 

 pile groins was built for the protection of the artificially created beach 

 along about 1 mile of waterfront at Biloxi, The groins are spaced generally 

 at Intervals of about 250 feet, and are 150 to 200 feet long. 



The disappearance of the protective beach from in front of the sea wall 

 has exposed the sheet^pile curtain wall to direct wave action at all 

 normal stages of tide. Deterioration of this curtain wall and of the 

 drainage system through the wall permitted the escape of sand backfill, 

 especially since the protecting beach was lost. The loss of backfill caused 

 settlement and breakage of the sidewalk and endangered the parallel highway 

 at some places. This condition was aggravated as a result of the 194V 

 hurricane. Loss of backfill (some of which accumulated on the beach), 

 destruction of the sidewalk and damage to the highway were extensive at that 

 time. In addition, 5 short sections of the sea wall were destroyed. 



In 1944- the Beach Erosion Board completed a study of the problem of 

 protection of Harrison County, The Board recommended the immediate in- 

 itiation of repairs to the sea wall, the construction of an artificial 

 beach, and the institution of an adequate program of periodic inspection 

 and maintenance of both the beach and the sea wall. The Board stated that 



