Table
Aransas Pass Jetties
Aransas Pass, Texas
Date(
Construction and Rehabilitation History
1868
-
During this period several attempts were made to secure a navigable
1899
channel at Aransas Pass by means of structural improvements. In 1 6
88
a 600-ft-long timber crib dike (filled with brush and stone) was con-
structed on
Joseph Island (north side) by local interests at a
total cost of ,900. By 1 7 storm activity essentially had de-
81
stroyed the dike. From 1 8 to 1885, the Federal government con-
80
structed the
or "Old Government" jetty on Mustang Island
(south side). The jetty was about 4,000 ft long and built using
brush mattresses overlaid with stone. The cost of the jetty and
additional shoreward improvements was 3,600. During
a
2,725-ft-long riprap revetment (1.5
thick) was placed on Mustang
Island, using portions of the previous (1880-1985) improvements at a
and 1 9 private interests con-
86
total cost of
Between
structed the
and
jetties on the south and north
sides of the pass, respectively. The Nelson jetty, constructed in
to a length of 1,800 ft, consisted of a row of light cylindrical
wooden caissons, 7 ft in diameter, filled with sand and stone, and
riprapped to a certain extent. The cost for constructing the Nelson
jetty was ,800. The Haupt jetty was partially completed during
1895-1896 to a length of 5,750 ft. The jetty was built on fascine
mats (40 to 50
wide) and covered with a 3-ft-thick layer of 100-
to
sandstone. The similar sized core stone was placed to
mlw and covered with 2- to 10-ton cap and face stone, resulting in a
top width of 1 ft and
6
to
side slopes. About 1,250 ft
to the design section. The jetty was con-
of jetty was
structed as a detached structure (its inner end about 1,500 ft from
.
shore) and shaped concave channelward (Figure
The detached fea-
ture was for the purpose of maintaining the tidal prism, and the
curvature was intended to train the tidal flow and maintain a navig-
able channel via scour action. The prevailing thought here was the
analogy of a river bend or oxbow. Approximately 25,500 sq yd of
mattress and 57,700 tons of stone were used at a construction cost of
4,900; engineering costs brought the total to about 0,000.
During
about 500
of the Old Government jetty were re-
moved by blasting from the channel. These attempts at providing a
20-ft-deep navigable channel were unsuccessful, and the project was
returned to government control in
During this period the Haupt jetty was repaired and completed using
various sizes of stone riprap and crest blocks, typically 3 to 8 tons
1906
in weight. The majority of the 5,750-ft-long jetty was brought up to
ft mlt. The construction costs were 8,900
a crest elevation of
for placing 119,470 tons of stone. During
a portion of
the Old Government jetty was removed from the channel at a cost of
,000.
(Continued)
37