DESIGN OF DEEP DRAFT NAVIGATION CHANNEL FROM GULF OF MEXICO INTO MATAGORDA BAY, TEXAS

It was in July 1956 when the senior writer of this paper was requested to prepare a program for investigations and studies required in connection with the proposed deep-draft channel from the Gulf of Mexico to Point Comfort. During 1938 to 19^0, the senior writer had attempted to analyze the available field and model study data which were then available on Galveston Bay in the hope of thus being able to reduce the shoaling in the various deep draft channels in Galveston Bay. In 19^0, the senior writer had been in charge of two field parties one of which measured the flow of water in the Colorado River and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near their crossing near Matagorda, Texas. A peak discharge of about 80,000 cubic feet per second was measured in the Colorado River at the Palacios Road bridge, about 15 miles upstream from its mouth during this period. At that time there were no locks nor gates in the Intracoastal Waterway adjacent to the Colorado River. It was found then that about one third of this peak river discharge flowed southwest through the Intracoastal Waterway. On the basis of the above experience and the information obtained from a review of the Matagorda Ship Channel, Texas, project report (l) and other literature, then, available (2) thru (5) a program was formulated in June 1958 and submitted to the Division Engineer in Dallas with the request that the Office of the Chief of Engineers, the Southwestern Division Engineer Office, the Beach Erosion Board and the Committee on Tidal Hydraulics review the program.

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE NETHERLAND DIKES AFTER THE STORM OF FEBRUARY 1953

The reconstruction of the damage to the dikes by the flood of February 1953 presented an enormous task. From the hydraulic engineer's point of view the most interesting part was the closing of the major or tidal breaches, that is to say, the places where a dike for a certain length was totally destroyed and where, therefore, the tides had free entrance to the inundated interior, scouring out deep gullies. This called into action the resources of tidal hydraulics, theoretical considerations, and model experiments.

Water Quality Management at Palm Meadows Golf Course (Australia) by Limited Tidal Exchange

This paper describes the fulfillment of a design brief for a tidal exchange system for lakes within a golf course on the Queensland Gold Coast to maintain aesthetic appeal while retaining approximately constant water levels. Secondary objectives of minimal maintenance, yet ability of the system to support water based recreation were also defined. To achieve the above, a simulation of potential lake layouts and their tidal hydraulics was achieved using ‘ESTRY', a hydrodynamic modelling program developed by Winders, Barlow and Morrison. Output from the model defined the necessary design criteria. This allowed significant cost savings in civil works to be achieved during construction and minimal ongoing maintenance costs in the developed golf course complex. Confirmation of fulfillment of the design criteria has been provided by the satisfactory agreement between predicted model results and actual characteristics of the lakes and the results of a water quality monitoring program.