BEACH EROSION BOARD RESEARCH 



Extracts from a speech by Lt, Colo Wm, Bo Stelzen- 

 muller. Assistant Resident Member 5 Beach Erosion 

 Board, at the Great Lakes Conference on lake Shore 

 Erosion Control Problems held May 13-14 at Tbledo, 

 Ohio, under auspices of the Council of State Gov- 

 ernments , 



The Beach Erosion Board was established by Act of Congress in 1930 

 to investigate, study, and report on effective means of controlling or 

 preventing erosion of the ocean, gulf, and major lake shores of the United 

 States. The Board has seven members — The President and three members 

 are engineer officers of the Army, and three members are civilians 

 selected from engineers of State agencies cooperating with the Federal 

 Government in the study of shore probLemSo The Board reports directly 

 to the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Armyo 



Our mission is fourfold: 



1st, we assist the Division and District Engineers of the 

 Corps of Engineers in setting up cooperative study programs that 

 result in a report to Xhe local interests and to the Congress on 

 the most practical means of correcting specific erosion problems; 



2nd, we review these reports, just as the Board of Engineers 

 for Rivers and Harbors reviews navigation and flood control reports, 

 and transmit our findings to the Chief of Engineers; 



3rd 5 we review navigation reports on proposed improvements 

 that may affect the shore line and inform the Chief of Engineers of 

 any effects to be expected on the shore line for ten miles on either 

 side of the improvement; and 



4.th, we conduct research or general investigations of the 

 various factors involved in coastal erosion with a view to increas- 

 ing our knowledge of the complex relationships between the factors, 

 and to improving the design of protective workso 



Cooperative beach erosjon studies have been frequently discussed, 

 and I will merely recall to you that the Beach Erosion Board provides 

 consultative services and exercises the function of review of these 

 reports. The reports are prepared by the field officers, the District 

 and Division Engineers of the Corps of Engineers « 



In order to carry out our research responsibility, the Board main- 

 tains a small laboratory in Washington, Do C, and two field research 

 groups equipped for accurate hydrographic surveys, sampling of beach and 

 offshore materials, current and wave measurement, and numerous other 

 field research operations » In the laboratory we have one large wave 

 tank, A feet deep, lA feet wide, and 85 feet long, and two small wave 

 flumes o Scheduled for early construction are a large outdoor tank about 



