Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-19
FIGHTING THE SAND DUNES.
Perfect Victory Over Them on the
Coast of GascOny.

M. Chambrelent, Inspector of Public
Works, has made report to the Agri-
cultural Society of France on the subject
of the dunes in the landes of Gascony
These sandhills cover surface of more
than $4,000 hectares. They are more
than eighty metres high and five to six
kilometres wide. Before a method of
arresting these was discovered they were
being constantly pushed inland by the
/ winds, covering fields, villages and
even burying churches up to their tow
ers. In 1850 Brementier sought to rem
der them immovable by planting them,
and made many experiments designed
to develop a primary vegetation. His
work has been continued with persever-
ance, and it is only recently that it has
been completed, and these SIS 900 hec-
tares, which menaced all the country adj
Joining, have been covered with rich
forest vegetation which has fixed the
dunes in one place. A great public dam
ger has been converted into large for
est
Ultimately the dune reaches such a
hight generally ten to twelve metres)
that the sand can no longer get over it,
and it is definitely arrested between the
barrier and the sea. 1t falls back on the
shore, unable to advance, until contrary
winds come and blow it out to sea again.
10 fix the sand on the other side of the
barrier, the Arui,do drenarid is planted.
The roots penetrate to depth of four or
five metres, and the plant always
keep its head above the increasing sand.
The results obtained by this new dune
(says NJ. Chambrelent) have been COM
plete- The most violent storms have not |
been able to carry the sand over it; the |
latter has fallen back OH the shore in
nocuous, and the advance of the mex
haustible sand coming from the sea has
absolutely arrested.
But this work, which renders perma-
nent dunes already existing, has not pre-
vented the sea from throwing up on the
coast new sand day by day, which form
dunes, which in their turn invade perma-
nent dunes. After having fixed old sand
hills, the problem was to prevent the
of new ones To solve this it
was decided to construct a dune above
high water, in which all the conditions of
the movable dunes would be reversed.
The form given to the latter by the wind
% ouCH Iude Ou one size OF The
sea they present gentle slope,
which the sand can mount easily as
IN an inclined plane, in order to fall down
!, steep decline. It is by the gentle
slopes forming series OF inclined planes !
hat the sand moves forward. The for ).
nation of the new dune was encouraged.
'ut it was directed in such manner that ..
had steep slope on the side of the sea. !;
10 secure this wooden palisade was 7
rected about 120 metres away from the !
ga, all along the shore. The sand first =
truck against this in its progress and fell {
I Its loot, a portion escaping through ;,
ne interstices left behind the blanks. a
he latter was carried some distance bv y
he force of the wind and fell, forming = =
light slopes, while the sand which fell at {.
he loot OF the palisade on the side near l.
ne sea formed steep incline. Soon
lis reached the top of the palisade, and
len the planks were drawn up bv means
a special implement to the needed c
eight, and the formation continued as L
efore, the slope of the side of the sea O.
rowing sleeper, while the other got more @
nd more gentle.-Noture. .