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A. W. G. WILSON SHORELINE STUDIES ON ONTARIO AND ERIE 



free from sands and gravels, while both east and west they make up the 

 greater portion of the waste supplied by the present sea-cliffs. The 

 present barriers and the outer 4 miles of the point are composed almost 

 wholly of materials derived from the cliffs east and west. Hence, while 

 in the initial stages the waves would tend to build barriers by their own 

 undercutting, the point as at present constituted is formed practically 

 altogether of materials brought hither by longshore processes. 



On the west side of the point for the first 2 miles offshore the barrier 

 ridge is only about 125 feet in width; then it gradually widens. About 

 4 miles from the apex of the point the beach deposits on east and west 

 join and have a width of about 2 miles. Along the west shore at the 

 present time the beach is steep and is covered with grass almost to the 

 water's edge. The greater portion of the bar is covered with a thick 

 growth of timber — red cedar, white pine, white cedar, oak, and an occa- 

 sional walnut or plane tree. A sand dune belt occurs along the middle 

 portion of the west bar, most of which is stationary. During recent years 

 there has been a good deal of undercutting on the west bar about 4 miles 

 back from the end of the point. 



The eastern shore of the point consists largely of very coarse gravels 

 and is built up fully 20 feet above the lake level, or more than twice as 

 high as the west beach. The barrier beach is wider than on the west and 

 active construction work is still in progress. The difference between the 

 east and west beaches is a very striking evidence of the strength and 

 character of the shore processes acting on the two sides of the point, the 

 east being exposed to the full sweep of the waves from the east, while the 

 west is relatively well protected from large storm waves. 



Presque Isle point, or Erie harbor. — On the south shore of the lake, 

 directly opposite Long point, lies Presque Isle, inclosing a lagoon that 

 now constitutes Erie harbor. East and west of Erie the sea-cliffs lie 

 immediately back of the beach line. A few feet at the base of the cliff 

 is usually rock. This is overlain in turn by glacial till, stratified clay, 

 and sand and gravels. The cliffs var}^ in height from 40 to about 90 feet. 

 The line of cliffs passes along the mainland south of Erie harbor. 



The point itself consists of sands and gravels still retaining many 

 traces of the earlier beach lines. The present beach is broad and rises to 

 about 8 feet above lake level. Behind the beach are low ridges of wind- 

 blown sand rising 6 or 8 feet higher. The hooked spit is joined to the 

 mainland by a narrow sand-neck. At the present time the supply of 

 materials from the west seems to have been so reduced that erosion is 

 narrowing and reconstructing the neck. 



The form of the point and its position with respect to the waves of 



