Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-04-14


army engineers who designed and
built the ~jetties extending into the
Gulf from BrazoS and Padre
islands. The minimum depth
through the pass and over the bar
has been found to be 14.3 feet. The
shoal spot is on the outer bar be-
yond the jetties and water In the
channel through the pass varies
from Is to % feet in depth.
When the present program of
channel Improvement in Brazos
Santiago Pass was started there was
q controlling depth Of 9 feet over
the bar and 10 feet in the pass.
First efforts at improvement of the
pass consisted of dredging done by
a contractor. This was unsuccess-
full and when abandoned the work
was taken up by the Corps of Engi-
neers with the U. S. dredge Alb
Secon.
The huge floating dredge sucked
Up the mud and clay from the
bottom and carried it out to sea
where 1t was dumped. High seas
breaking over a shallow bar made
such dredging operations difficult
except in very calm weather. The
dyke OF jetty system of controlling
currents was adopted. Huge tres
ties were built out into the Gulf
from the south end of Padre
island and the north end of Brazos
island. Railroad tracks permitted
the engineers to run out carloads
OF rock shipped down from New
Braunfels. Beginning at the shore
line this rock was dumped on each
side Of the trestle and a dyke or
Jetty slowly extended out into
water OF 16 feet depth.
The dykes confined the outgoing
tidal currents to a narrower area.
increasing the velocity and power
to carry out silt and sand. The
bottom of the pass is much higher
than the Gulf bottom outside so
the incoming tides did not carry
silt or sand into the pas and bay.
The bay and channel bottoms be-
ing higher, the outgoing currents
rolled out the sand to deeper water
ana the natural forces thereby
carried on the deepening processes
slowly.
High northerly winds during the
past season have increased the
velocity and volume of outgoing
TIDES and the securing c has
been rapid. Test soundings show
that where there was a depth Of
10 feet south of the Padre island
snore line last October there is now
depth OF % feet. At the outer end
OF the dyked channel there is now
a depth OF Is and Is feet where
tnere was 9.5 feet last fall. Enpi-
neers do not believe the channel
VIII I'LL during the summer
months but that all the depth
gained will be held.
The task confronting the enpi-
ners this spring Is said to be that
OF holding the north end of Rrazos
Island against excessive scol,rinp
actlon and consequent filling Of the
channel with sand cut awav from
Gne Island itself. When the pres
ent survey is completed it is prob-
able a stone dyke will be b,IiIt
across the north end of the island
extending west from the foot of
the main jetty extending into the
Gulf. Funds are available for this
work from the allotment for main
tenance Of Brazos channel and are
not dependent upon the ~appropria-
tion recommended in the present
rivers and harbors bill which is
before congress but not acted upon
The present jetties and plan Of
channel improvement will be the
basis OF the program for which
Lieutenant Colonel Schley. former
district engineer recommended an
appropriation &C one million dol
lars. Engineers believe the problem
VIII be solved by extension of the
Jetties far enough offshore to reach
the derth desired and to hold the
ends OF the islands by rock dykes
extending from the outer jetties
across to the bay side Of the islands.
increasing depth of the channel
and over the bar has resulted al
ready in increase of tonnage
brought into Point Isabel from the
sea. A fleet of red snapper fish
HNN%tx 49, $1,000