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no share of the expense of any improvement should be borne by the United 

 States o None of the recommended work has been accomplished „ 



In view of the new policy of Federal assistance in the construction 

 of works for the improvement and protection of publicly-owned shores 

 against erosion by waves and currents, set forth in Public Law 727, 79th 

 Congress approved August 13, 194-6, the recent investigation was initiated 

 to supplement the previous report of the Beach Erosion Board primarily to 

 determine the extent. of Federal participation . The District Engineer at 

 Mobile, Alabama and the Division Engineer, South Atlantic Division, 

 furnished the basic report in which they considered the desires of the 

 cooperating agency, studied the changes in local conditions since the 

 1944- report by the Board, including the effects of the hurricane of 

 September 1947, and made an economic analysis of the existing and pro- 

 posed protective measures „ As a result of these data the Board concluded 

 that the plan of improvement should include repair of the sea wall and 

 its protection by an artificial beach 300 feet wide as previously 

 recommended o 



The Board studied a proposed drainage plan to provide a collecting 

 sewer in back of the bar discharging through relatively few large drains 

 across the beach, also the less expensive alternative of extending the 

 numerous existing drains across the beacho It was not satisfied that 

 either of these drainage systems could be maintained and not be injurious 

 to the beach, but believed that efforts should be made in the detailed 

 design stage to avoid, if possible, "the long drains across the beacho 



U. So Highway 90 which lies immediately behind the sea wall is the 

 main traffic artery along the Gulf Coast from Florida to the West. In 

 view of its value both to normal traffic and to national defense, 

 the Board concluded that the highway protected by the Harrison County sea 

 wall is sufficiently important to justify protection. The Board there- 

 fore considered that the maximum amount under the policy stated in Public 

 Law 727, 79th Congress, namely one-third of the original cost of the wallj 

 is applicable in this case,, As the original cost of the wall was $3,400, 

 000, one-third thereof would amount to $1,133,000. The Board therefore 

 concluded that Federal contribution in amount not exceeding $1,133,000 is 

 warranted toward the repair of the wall and protection thereof by the 

 building of an artificial beach and necessary drainage facilities, 

 subject to certain conditions of local cooperation. The beach should be 

 constructed by placing approximately 5,700,000 cubic yards of sand in 

 front of the wall from the offshore bottom at least 1,500 feet distant 

 from the wall . 



In accordance with existing statutory requirements, the Board stated 

 its opinion as follows; 



a. It is advisable for the United States to adopt a project, 

 authorizing Federal contribution toward the cost of 

 repairing the Harrison County sea wall and the protection 

 thereof by the construction of an artificial beach in front 

 of the wall with necessary drainage facilities; 



