PROGRESS REPORTS ON RESEARCH CONTRACTS 



It is proposed that future issues of the Bulletin include abstracts 

 from progress reports on the several research contracts in force between 

 universities or other institutions and the Beach Erosion Board. The 

 foiloTO.ng is based on progress reports from three such contracts. 



I. University of California. Status Report No, ^, 1 Deoeniber 1951 

 through 31 January 1952 . 



This report pertains mainly to the origin of sand upon beaches, 

 particularly with reference to beaches of Southern California. 



Work Completed in Current Period 



1. Three trips were made to Santa Barbara: 



a. 12 to 15, December, immediately following a period of 

 heavy rainfall to collect sand samples from principal 

 streams entering the ocean, in order to make mineral- 

 ogical studies of the sands with the object of determining 

 the source of sand on the ocean beaches. 



b. 26 to 30, December, detailed survey of Santa Barbara 

 Harbor and beaches at time of the year's lowest tides. 

 The extremely low water permitted the detailed determina- 

 tion of slope of the underwater points of the sand island, 

 which was found to range between 29° and 31°, averaging 

 30°. The feeder beach east of the harbor receded rapidly 

 during the very high tides that preceded the very low 

 tides. 



c. 17 to 20, January, photographic survey of stream and 

 beach erosion immediately following the major floods of 

 January 15 to 17. These floods were the most severe in 

 15 years. Sand samples for miner alogical analysis were 

 taken at the same localities as in the December survey, 

 and at other places as well. 



2. Mechanical and mineralogical analyses of the samples collected 

 during the two December surveys have been furnished. 



3. The comprehensive report of the results of the current year's 

 study is 75 per cent complete. 



4.. A summary report of progress is 98 per cent complete. The 

 mineralogical studies have indicated that mineral composition of the 

 sediments varies very little in the Santa Barbara area itself, whereas 

 it varies significantly along the coast west and north of Santa Barbara. 



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