Gulfport Marina and Info

Mississippi Coastal Recreational Boating Access:Assessment and Projected Needs

Prepared By:David D. Burrage, Cathy Z. Hollomon, Benedict C. Posadas

Mississippi State UniversityCoastal Research and Extension Center

2710 Beach Blvd., Suite 1-E, Biloxi, MS 39531Tel: 228-388-4710, Fax: 228-388-1375

http://www.msstate.edu/dept/crec/crec.html December 1999

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I. Introduction:

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is undertaking a long-rangeplanning effort addressing public access issues within Mississippi’s coastal zone. “Public access”in this context is a comprehensive term involving multiple uses and a panoply of groupscompeting for use of state and local government controlled public lands in Mississippi’s threecoastal counties. Examples of these public lands include the sand beach, water bottoms subject tothe ebb and flow of the tide (more formally known as “tidelands”), coastal preserves, and wildlifesanctuaries. Competing uses include the harvesting and processing sectors of Mississippi’sseafood industry, residential development, commercial development (particularly the docksidegaming industry), wildlife conservation, and recreation. Each of these broad categories can befurther sub-divided into various user groups. For example, recreational users might includesunbathers, swimmers, fishermen, bird watchers, campers, and boaters. Some of these uses arecompatible (e.g. boating and fishing) while others often conflict (e.g. personal watercraftoperation and bird watching).

As part of this planning effort, the DMR requested assistance from Mississippi StateUniversity’s Coastal Research and Extension Center (CREC) to provide information and guidancerelated to coastal recreational boating industry infrastructure facilities and needs. CRECpersonnel conducted research to determine demand profiles for recreational boating facilities andservices and to compare existing price structures to facilities located in neighboring states. Inaddition, extensive field work was conducted in order to provide a detailed inventory of existingfacilities and assessments of potential development sites.

II. Demand Profile:

Three methods were used to synthesize the demand for recreational boating access in theMississippi coastal zone – 1) an examination of growth in coastal boat ownership based on time-series data, 2) a compilation of waiting lists for marina and dry storage facilities, and 3) use of the“Florida technique” (Bell, 1995) linking boat ownership to population growth and per capitaincome.

Boat ownership. Data on coastal boat registrations were collected for the six countiesadjacent to Mississippi’s marine coastline under the assumption that this comprised the primary“market area” for boating facilities and services. Total boat registration figures were obtained forthe years 1992 and 1999 and are shown in Table 1 and Figure 1. Use (salt water vs. fresh water)and size category data were obtained for the year 1999 and are shown in Figures 2 and 3 andTable 2 respectively (MBWSC, 1999).

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Figure 1.

Table 1. Mississippi Coastal Boat Registrations by County

1992 1999 % Change

Hancock 4,540 7,249 59.7 Harrison 17,002 24,207 42.4 Jackson 17,238 23,252 34.9 Pearl River 3,909 5,624 43.9 Stone 1,278 1,831 43.3 George 2,222 3,375 51.9

Total 46,189 65,538 41.9

Source:(Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks)

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Figure 3.

Figure 2.

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Table 2. Coastal Boat Registrations by Size Category (Boat Length in Feet)

<16 16 - 25 26 - 39 40 - 65 >65 Salt Water Fresh Water Total

Harrison 12,756 10,187 1,076 179 9 11,752 12,455 24,207Hancock 3,165 3,631 355 48 0 4,083 3,166 7,249Jackson 13,633 8,704 842 71 2 10,857 12,395 23,252Pearl River 3,829 1,752 39 4 0 1,863 3,761 5,624Stone 1,296 512 20 3 0 452 1,379 1,831George 2,739 618 16 2 0 557 2,818 3,375

Total 37,418 25,404 2,348 307 11 29,564 35,974 65,538

There was an overall 42 percent increase in boat registrations between 1992 and 1999. Most (72 percent) of the 65.5 thousand boats registered in the six-county area were registered inJackson and Harrison counties, in correspondence with the proportionate population base. About96 percent of the boats registered in the six coastal counties were less than 26 feet in length,indicating that most boats in the region were capable of being stored or transported on a trailer. About 45 percent (29.6 thousand) of the boats in the region are used primarily in salt water. Because recreational boats over 5 net tons may be documented rather than state registered, thenumber of registered boats given for the larger size categories is less than the actual number ofboats of that size in the region. In addition, the hailing port for documented vessels typicallycoincides with the city of residence of the owner rather than the actual physical location of theboat. Therefore, a better measure of demand associated with larger recreational vessels can beobtained by examining marina vessel characteristics and waiting lists.

Waiting lists. The CREC conducted a survey of coastal marinas in the winter of 1999(see appendices). Information obtained during this survey was used to generate a marina waitinglist profile for each of the three coastal counties. Six public and three private marinas in HarrisonCounty indicated a total waiting list for boat slips of about 750 vessels. About 650 of these werefor public facilities located in municipal marinas--most (400) in Biloxi followed by 145 inGulfport, 65 in Long Beach and 50 in Pass Christian. Three private and two public facilities inJackson County indicated a waiting list of about 300 vessels. Again, most of the demand was forpublic facilities with 165 on the waiting list for Ocean Springs Harbor and about 50 on the waitinglist for Pascagoula’s Inner Harbor. There are no public marinas for recreational boaters inHancock County and five private facilities indicated a total waiting list of about 15-20 vessels.

About 85 percent of the demand for slip space was generated by vessels between 26 and65 feet in length. The waiting list profiles closely mirror county boat registration data andproximity to major population centers within the respective coastal counties. The relativelygreater demand for public facilities was primarily due to differences in pricing between public andprivate facilities and secondarily due to facility location.

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Figure 4. Distribution of Coastal Mississippi Population by County

Population. The 1995 population in the three Mississippi coastal counties (Hancock,Harrison, Jackson) was about 342,000, and is expected to increase to about 400,000 by the year2010 (Gulf South Economic Research Center, 1998). The majority (66 percent) of the populationbase within the six southeastern counties of the state lies within Harrison County and JacksonCounty.

Table 3. Coastal Mississippi Population Estimates by County

County April 1, 1990 July 1, 1998 Percent change Hancock 31,760 40,327 27.0%Harrison 165,365 177,981 7.6%Jackson 115,243 130,910 13.6%Pearl River 38,714 46,862 21.0%Stone 10,750 13,166 22.5%George 16,673 19,645 17.8%Total 411,468 464,867 .

Source: Population Estimates Program, Population Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census,Washington, D.C.

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Figure 5. Coastal Mississippi Per Capita Personal Income by County, inCurrent Dollars

Per capita income. There has been consistent increase in per capita incomes (PCI) incoastal Mississippi counties between 1992 and 1997 (Table 4). Harrison County reported thehighest PCI in 1997 followed by Jackson, Hancock, Stone, Pearl River and George counties(Figure 5).

Table 4. Coastal Mississippi Per Capita Income by County

County 1992 1997 Average AnnualPercent change

in constant 1992 dollarsHancock 13,333 14,559 1.4%Harrison 14,674 17,732 3.6%Jackson 15,332 16,192 1.3%Pearl River 11,721 12,902 1.8%Stone 13,027 13,765 1.3%George 11,874 12,510 1.6%

Sources: Gulf South Economic Research Center and Bureau of Economic Analysis,Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

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0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Num

ber o

f boa

t ram

p la

nes

Hancock Harrison Jackson

Boat ramp lanes available

Additional boat ramp lanes needed

Figure 6. Coastal Mississippi Boat Ramp Lanes

Projected demand for boat ramps. Using the two statistical methods (OLS and logit)applied by Bell (1995) to estimate demand and supply of boat ramps for the coastal regions ofFlorida, the projected demand for boat ramps in the three coastal counties of Mississippi wasestimated. The coefficients of the models used in estimating projected demand for EscambiaCounty, Florida for year 2000 were used to estimate projected demand in the three Mississippicoastal counties in year 2000.

The procedure and coefficients of the ordinary least squares (OLS) model used to estimatethe projected demand for each coastal Mississippi county are as follows:

Eqn 1 Average boat ramp days per year in each county = [percent of boaters using boat ramps] x[boat registrations in each county per year] x [boating days per household per year]

For example, in Harrison County, the values are as follows:Average boat ramp days = 0.62019 x 24,207 x 27.52

= 413,156 days per year

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Eqn 2 [Peak boat ramp demand per day ÷ boat ramp carrying capacity per day] = {[Percent peakboater demand days per year] x [average boat ramp days per year] ÷ [peak days per year]}÷ {[number of boat launches per ramp per 12-hour-day using 30-minute scenario] x[number of boat ramp lanes available in each county]}

In Harrison County, the estimating equation is as follows: Ratio of demand to carrying capacity = [0.59375 x 413,156 ÷ 111] ÷ [24 x 51]

= 2,210 ÷ 1,224 = 1.8056

Eqn 3 Projected demand for additional boat ramps in each county = {[Peak boat ramp demandper day] ÷ [boat ramp carrying capacity per day]} x {number of boat ramp lanes availablein each county} - [number of boat ramps available in each county]

In Harrison County, the values used in the model are as follows:Projected demand = 1.8056 x 51 - 51 = 41 more boat ramps.

The logit method of estimating projected demand used the probability of selecting a boatramp which was estimated from a sample of boat owners. The probability of using a boat rampwas determined by household income (negative effect), age of the boat owner (negative effect)and the size of the boat (negative effect). The procedure and coefficients of the logit model usedto estimate the projected demand for each coastal Mississippi county are as follows:

Eqn 1 Average boat ramp days per year in each county = [probability of boaters using boatramps] x [boat registrations in each county per year] x [boating days per household peryear]

For example, in Harrison County, the values used in the model are as follows:Average boat ramp days = 0.62875 x 24,207 x 27.52

= 418,859 days per year

Eqn 2 [Peak boat ramp demand per day ÷ boat ramp carrying capacity per day] = {[Percent peakboater demand days per year] x [average boat ramp days per year] ÷ [peak days per year]}÷ {[number of boat launches per ramp per 12-hour-day using 30-minute scenario] x[number of boat ramp lanes available in each county]}

In Harrison County, the estimating equation is as follows: Ratio of demand to carrying capacity = [0.59375 x 418,875 ÷ 111] ÷ [24 x 51]

= 2,241 ÷ 1,224 = 1.8305

Eqn 3 Projected demand for additional boat ramps in each county = {[Peak boat ramp demandper day] ÷ [boat ramp carrying capacity per day]} x {number of boat ramp lanes availablein each county} - [number of boat ramps available in each county]

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In Harrison County, the values used in the estimating equation are as follows:Projected demand = 1.8305 x 51 - 51

= 42 more boat ramps.

The projected need for boat ramp lanes in each county was finally computed by taking theaverage of the results of the two methods (OLS vs. logit). For Harrison County, it is equal to 41which is the average of 41 (OLS method) and 42 (logit method) additional boat ramp lanes. Thesame procedures and coefficients were applied in estimating the projected boat ramp needs forJackson and Hancock Counties. The projected demand in Jackson and Hancock Counties in year2000 is 37 and 3 more boat ramp lanes, respectively (Figure 7).

It should be noted, however, that these results have certain limitations due to the nature ofthe predictive models used. These models did not take into consideration non-coastal residentsfrom out-of-state and other counties who might be using these boat ramps. These estimatesrepresent peak demand for boat ramps during weekends and holidays.

III. Description of Existing Facilities:

Boat Launches

CREC personnel conducted on-site surveys of all boat launches in the three coastalcounties. Not included in this compilation are unimproved sites located along coastal riversdesigned primarily for canoe and kayak access. Also not included are sites which are unavailablefor use by the general public, such as those in private housing developments and on military bases. Both public ramps (no launch fee) and private ramps available to the general public for a minimalfee are included in the survey. Average water depths at the launch site as well as controllingwater depths for the adjacent water body were recorded, and launch ramp slope, surface andmaneuvering areas were noted in order to determine the size of boats which could be launchedand retrieved at the facility. The design standard for boat ramp slope is 12 to 13 percent (Ramseyand Sleeper, 1994). However, most ramps along the Mississippi coast are sloped more graduallydue to the minimal tidal range. As a general rule, any ramps steeper than 15 percent should onlybe used for very small lightweight boats. Ramps with slopes less than 6 or 7 percent should beavoided because it becomes necessary to contact the water with the tow vehicle in order to getthe trailer into deep enough water to launch or retrieve the boat. Launch locations are given interms of water body, latitude and longitude, and street location. Number and type of parking forvehicles with and without trailers is given, as well as information about amenities such as lighting,trash disposal, comfort facilities and loading/unloading docks designed to ease ramp congestion.

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Table 5. Location and Characteristics of Boat Ramps in the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Hancock County

Map No. Launch Name Public Private Street Location Water Location Latitude(Deg. Min. Sec.)

Longitude (Deg. Min. Sec.)

No. of Ramps

Slope (%) Ramp Surface

1 RouchonHouse

Stennis Space Center Pearl River 30 20 54.7 89 38 25.9 1 10 CorrugatedConcrete

2 Curtis JohnsonWaterfrontPark

X Napolean Pearl River 30 19 43.6 89 37 54.6 1 12 CorrugatedConcrete

3 Logtown X End of 1st dirt rd south of Hwy. 90 offHwy. 607

Pearl River 30 16 49.0 89 37 50.9 1 4 Shell

4 Pearlington X End of Monroe St in downtownPearlington

Pearl River 30 14 52.4 89 36 56.4 1 8 CorrugatedConcrete

5 Bea andWoody'sMarina

X 16463 Hwy. 90, Pearlington Cowan Bayou 30 14 29.9 89 36 20.1 1 10 CorrugatedConcrete

6 Port Bienville X End of road A inside Port BienvilleIndustrial Park

Mulatto Bayou 30 13 26.9 89 35 08.0 1 8 CorrugatedConcrete

7 La FranceFishing Camp

X 3200 Ansley Road, Bay St. Louis Campbell InsideBayou

30 12 28.4 89 29 59.0 1 8 CorrugatedConcrete

8 BordagesMarina

X 6149 Central Ave. Bay St. Louis Bayou Caddy 30 14 30.3 89 26 29.1 1 7 CorrugatedConcrete

9 HancockCounty Marina

X Pleasant Street, Bay St. Louis Bayou Caddy 30 14 23.1 89 25 56.1 2 8 CorrugatedConcrete

10 Bayou Caddy X End of Beach Blvd., Bay St. Louis Bayou Caddy 30 14 18.8 89 25 36.0 1 6 CorrugatedConcrete

11 AmericanLegion

X End of Washington St., Bay St. Louis Bay St. Louis 30 18 07.9 89 19 40.0 3 10 CorrugatedConcrete

12 Bay-WavelandYacht Club

X North Beach Blvd. Bay St. Louis Bay St. Louis 30 19 29.3 89 19 35.1 1 9 CorrugatedConcrete

13 Cedar Point X End of North Beach Blvd., Bay St. Louis Bay St. Louis 30 20 20.3 89 21 16.8 1 9 CorrugatedConcrete

14 Casio Magic X 711 Casio Magic Drive, Bay St. Louis Bay St. Louis 30 20 06.9 89 21 23.9 2 9 CorrugatedConcrete

15 Bay Marina X 100 Bay Marina Dr., Bay St. Louis Jourdan River 30 19 24.6 89 22 57.2 1 8 CorrugatedConcrete

16 Bayou LaCroix X Hwy. 603 at Bayou LaCroix Bayou LaCroix 30 19 45.7 89 25 24.0 1 5 CorrugatedConcrete

17 McLeod StatePark

X Texas Flat Road, Kiln Ox Bow to JourdanRiver


18 Bayou Talla X End of Comanche St. Kiln Bayou Talla 30 23 55.8 89 26 06.5 1 14 CorrugatedConcrete

19 DiamondheadMarina

X 3400 Yacht Club Circle, Diamondhead Canal to JourdanRiver


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Table 5. Cont.

Map No. Launch NameWater Depth at Launch

(ft.)

Charted Depth of Adjacent

Waterbody (ft.)

Trailer ParkingSpaces

Car Parking Spaces Lighted? ComfortFacilities?

TrashReceptacles?

Comments

1 RouchonHouse

2.0 Not Charted Approx. 9 Approx. 9 No No No Must have permission to enterStennis Space Center; launch is wellsheltered

2 CurtisJohnsonWaterfrontPark

4.5 12 Approx. 12 Approx. 12 No No Yes Difficult to access; rutted dirt road;launch is well sheltered

3 Logtown 1.5 12 Approx. 8 Approx. 8 No No No No piers at launch site; mostly localuse; no signs to locate facility

4 Pearlington 4.0 12 Approx. 7 Approx. 7 Yes No Yes Located on main river channel,signage in town directing to launch

5 Bea andWoody'sMarina

3.0 Not Charted Approx. 15 Approx. 15 Yes Yes No Family operated marina, mostly localuse

6 Port Bienville 2.5 10 Approx. 12 Approx. 12 No No No Located inside the Industrial Park. Nopiers at the launch site

7 La FranceFishing Camp

3.5 Not Charted Approx. 25 Approx. 25 Yes Yes Yes Large facility; plenty of parking

8 BordagesMarina

5.0 Not Charted Approx. 6 Approx. 6 Yes No No Well protected; facility in disrepair

9 HancockCountyMarina

5.0 7 Approx. 40 Approx. 40 Yes Yes Yes New marina facility, well designatedslips, caters to shrimp boats

10 Bayou Caddy 3.5 7 Approx. 25 Approx. 25 Yes No Yes Very confined space for launchingand loading. Tied and sunken shrimpboats next to ramp.

11 AmericanLegion

3.5 7 Approx. 20 Approx. 20 Yes Yes Yes Exposed to winds

12 Bay-WavelandYacht Club

3.0 4 Approx. 10 Approx. 10 Yes Yes Yes Must have membership

13 Cedar Point 3.5 10 None (roadside) None (roadside) No No No Ramp has double slope surface. Underwater slope is steep; usersoften complain

14 Casio Magic 5.5 10 Approx. 20 Approx. 20 Yes No No Exposed to northeast winds

15 Bay Marina 3.0 Not Charted Approx. 5 Approx. 5 Yes Yes Yes Launch is well sheltered16 Bayou

LaCroix1.5 Not Charted Approx. 25 Approx. 25 Yes No No Launch is well sheltered

17 McLeod StatePark

3.5 Not Charted Approx. 8 Approx. 8 Yes Yes Yes Launch is well sheltered

18 Bayou Talla 5.5 Not Charted None (roadside) None (roadside) Yes No Yes Not recommended for long trailers19 Diamondhead

Marina4.0 Not Charted Approx. 10 Approx. 10 Yes Yes Yes Launch is well sheltered

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Table 6.Location and Characteristics of Boat Ramps in the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Harrison County

Map No. LaunchName

Public Private Street Location Water Location Latitude (Deg. Min. Sec.)

Longitude (Deg. Min. Sec.)

No. ofRamps


1 MerlinNecaise

X Southwest Side of Henderson Ave.Bridge

Wolf River 30 21 25.6 89 16 22.8 2 9 CorrugatedConcrete

2 DiscoveryBay

X Discovery Bay Marina Bayou Portage 30 20 49.5 89 15 27.1 1 7 Dirt/Gravel

3 BayouPortage

X Henderson Ave. at Clark St. Bayou Portage 30 20 23.7 89 15 49.5 1 9 Concrete

4 HendersonPoint

X Foot of Bayview St. Bay St. Louis 30 18 45.0 89 17 26.2 1 9 CorrugatedConcrete

5 PassChristianHarbor(West)

X Highway 90 at Pass ChristianHarbor

Mississippi Sound 30 18 46.3 89 14 57.6 2 8 CorrugatedConcrete

6 PassChristianHarbor(East)

X Highway 90 at Pass ChristianHarbor

Mississippi Sound 30 18 43.2 89 14 45.3 2 8 Concrete

7 Long BeachHarbor

X Highway 90 at Long Beach Harbor Mississippi Sound 30 20 43.8 89 08 30.4 6 8 Concrete

8 GulfportHarbor

X Highway 90 at Gulfport Harbor Mississippi Sound 30 21 56.6 89 05 17.7 8 10 CorrugatedConcrete

9 GulfportLake

X Off Washington Ave. NearTramark Golf Course

Bayou Bernard 30 25 28.4 89 03 37.1 3 9 CorrugatedConcrete

10 Biloxi River X Lorraine Rd., Southeast Side ofBridge

Biloxi River 30 27 10.7 89 00 48.0 2 17 Sand/Gravel

11 M & M X Lorraine Rd. Biloxi River 30 27 30.8 89 00 32.9 1 17 Concrete12 Parker's

LandingX Hwy. 67 at Interstate 10 Tchoutacabouffa River 30 27 33.8 88 57 54.8 1 10 Concrete

13 Cedar Lake X Cedar Lake Rd., Southeast Side ofBridge

Tchoutacabouffa River 30 27 32.7 88 56 18.3 1 7 Concrete

14 Handsboro X Switzer Rd. at Handsboro Ctr. Bayou Bernard 30 24 28.5 89 01 00.8 2 17 Rough Concrete15 Popp's Ferry

CausewayX Causeway Dr. Back Bay of Biloxi 30 25 10.1 88 58 43.1 2 12 Concrete

16 Popp's FerryFish Camp

X Popp's Ferry Rd., Southeast Sideof Bridge

Back Bay of Biloxi 30 24 50.6 88 58 32.0 1 17 Concrete

17 Hiller Park X Hiller Drive Back Bay of Biloxi 30 24 38.9 88 57 14.0 2 6 Concrete18 Forrest

AvenueX North End of Forrest Avenue Back Bay of Biloxi 30 24 43.6 88 54 16.7 3 7 Concrete

19 D'Iberville I -110 BoatLaunch

X Bayshore Drive Under North End ofI - 110

Back Bay of Biloxi 30 25 35.1 88 53 32.0 4 7 CorrugatedConcrete

20 Lee Street X North End of Lee Street Back Bay of Biloxi 30 24 39.6 88 52 43.2 2 9 CorrugatedConcrete

21 Biloxi SmallCraft Harbor

X Highway 90 at Biloxi Small CraftHarbor


22 Kuhn Street X Highway 90 at Kuhn Street Mississippi Sound 30 23 33.0 88 52 21.6 2 13 Concrete23 Oak Street X Highway 90 at Oak Street Mississippi Sound 30 23 31.0 88 52 04.9 2 12 Concrete

Table 6.Cont.

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Map No. Launch Name Water Depth atLaunch (ft.)

Charted Depthof Adjacent

Waterbody (ft.)

Trailer ParkingSpaces

Car ParkingSpaces

Lighted? ComfortFacilities?

TrashReceptacles?

Comments

1 Merlin Necaise 4.0 9 20 - 25 (Roadside) Approx. 10(Roadside)

Yes No Yes Brand new ramp, very good

2 Discovery Bay 3.0 7 Approx. 15(Dirt/Gravel Lot)

Approx. 7(Dirt/Gravel Lot)

No At Marina No Unimproved, in disrepair, difficult roadaccess

3 Bayou Portage 4.0 7 Approx. 15 (Grass Lot)

Approx. 15 (Grass Lot)

No No No Suitable only for small boats due tolimited maneuvering area

4 HendersonPoint

2.5 4 25 - 30 (Roadside) Approx. 10(Roadside)

Yes No Yes Suitable only for small, shallow-draftboats

5 Pass ChristianHarbor (West)

5.0 6 30 Approx. 30 Yes Yes Yes No nearby parking, good waveprotection

6 Pass ChristianHarbor (East)

3.5 6 17 52 No Yes Yes Good wave protection, very good ramp

7 Long BeachHarbor

3.5 8 65 15 Yes Yes Yes Good wave protection, excellent ramp

8 GulfportHarbor

6.0 8 2 acres of mixedparking

2 acres of mixedparking

Yes Yes Yes Good wave protection, excellent ramp,congested on weekends

9 Gulfport Lake 6.5 9 28 designated 4 Yes Yes Yes Excellent ramp for Back Bay access10 Biloxi River 2.0 Not Charted 6 - 8 0 No No No Suitable only for very small boats11 M & M 1.5 Not Charted 3 - 4 4 No No No Suitable only for very small boats12 Parker's

Landing2.5 Not Charted 30 Approx. 12 No No No Suitable only for very small boats due

to depth of adjacent water13 Cedar Lake 5.0 Not Charted 1/2 acre of mixed

parking1/2 acre of mixed

parkingYes Yes No Located at Cedar Lake Fish Camp

14 Handsboro 3.5 8 Approx. 6 15 Yes No Yes Suitable only for very small boats15 Popp's Ferry

Causeway5.0 14 14 10 No No Yes Open to main channel, wakes and

winds problematic 16 Popp's Ferry

Fish Camp2.5 26 None designated 22 No Yes No Suitable only for very small boats

17 Hiller Park 4.0 2 14 8 Yes No Yes Depth of access channel limits use toshallow-draft boats

18 ForrestAvenue

2.0 3 8 (Across Street) None designated No No No Suitable only for small, shallow-draftboats, site is being improved

19 D'Iberville I -110 BoatLaunch

5.0 12 35 designated 8 Yes Yes Yes Excellent ramp for Back Bay access,congested on weekends

20 Lee Street 6.0 12 Approx. 28 12 Yes No No Brand new ramp, very good21 Biloxi Small

Craft Harbor7.0 10 44 24 Yes No Yes Good wave protection, excellent ramp,

congested on weekends22 Kuhn Street 3.0 10 1/4 acre sand lot 1/4 acre sand lot No No Yes Ramp surface covered with sand,

highway access problematic23 Oak Street 3.5 10 No onsite parking No onsite parking No No No Ramp essentially unusable due to lack

of onsite parking and heavy traffic

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Table 7.Location and Characteristics of Boat Ramps in the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Jackson County

Map No. Launch Name Public Private Street Location Water Location Latitude (Deg. Min. Sec.)

Longitude(Deg. Min. Sec.)

No. ofRamps


1 St. Martin X Brittany Rd., Southeast Side ofBridge

St. Martin Bayou 30 26 01.4 88 52 50.3 1 9 Concrete

2 Old Fort Bayou X Washington Ave., Northeast Sideof Bridge

Old Fort Bayou 30 25 10.8 88 49 42.8 2 11 Concrete

3 Ocean SpringsHarbor

X Front Beach Drive at OceanSprings Harbor


4 Gulf IslandsSeashore

X Gulf Islands National SeashorePark

Davis Bayou 30 23 45.4 88 47 36.0 2 16 Concrete

5 Blue Heron Marina X Beachview Drive, Northwest Sideof Bridge

Simmons Bayou 30 22 27.6 88 45 36.8 1 16 Concrete

6 Graveline X North End of Octavia Street Graveline Bayou 30 21 45.9 88 41 41.2 1 7 Concrete7 Shepard State

Park Boat LaunchX Shepard State Park Pascagoula River 30 22 22.1 88 37 36.5 1 12 Concrete

8 Indian PointPreserve BoatLaunch

X 1600 Indian Point Parkway Pascagoula River 30 24 25.6 88 37 42.9 2 8 Concrete

9 Shimps Time-OutMarina

X 700 Roy's Road Pascagoula River 30 25 22.7 88 37 16.8 1 Concrete

10 Paige BayouMarina

X Rouse's Marina Road Pascagoula River 30 29 11.1 88 39 42.5 2 8 Concrete

11 San Juan FishingCamp

X John’s Bayou Road Pascagoula River 30 29 32.9 88 38 30.4 1 10 Concrete

12 John's BayouMarina

X John's Bayou Marina Road Pascagoula River 30 29 55.7 88 38 31.3 1 10 Concrete

13 Poticaw FishingCamp

X Poticaw Landing Road Pascagoula River 30 30 45.8 88 37 07.5 1 15 Concrete

14 Pascagoula RiverGameManagementHeadquartersLaunch

X Vancleave-Wade Road Pascagoula River 30 38 01.4 88 35 55.5 1 15 Concrete

15 Cumbest BluffBoat Launch

X Cumbest Bluff Road Pascagoula River 30 35 04.7 88 34 11.0 1 20 Concrete

16 Riverbend RVResort

X 10707 Hwy. 613 Pascagoula River 30 28 50.1 88 33 45.0 1 10 Concrete

17 The Boat Rental X Frank Griffin Road Pascagoula River 30 26 37.1 88 32 59.1 1 15 Concrete18 I-10 Boat Launch X Frank Griffin Road Pascagoula River 30 26 16.7 88 33 19.1 1 10 Concrete19 Riverfront Boat

LaunchX McInnis Avenue Escatawpa River 30 24 50.5 88 32 14.0 2 8 Concrete

20 Choctaw Marina X 3301 Hemlock Avenue Pascagoula River 30 24 00.6 88 33 19.1 1 12 Concrete21 Spanish Fort Boat

LaunchX Hickory Street Pascagoula River 30 22 49.8 88 33 22.1 1 5 Concrete

Table 7. Cont.

Map No. Launch Name Public Private Street Location Water Location Latitude (Deg. Min. Sec.)

Longitude(Deg. Min. Sec.)

No. ofRamps


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22 Pascagoula RiverPark Boat Launch

X Pascagoula River Park Pascagoula River 30 22 32.7 88 33 55.7 1 6 Concrete

23 Jaycee BoatLaunch

X Adjacent to Pascagoula RiverPark

Pascagoula River 30 22 28.2 88 34 07.3 3 5 Concrete

24 Old Coast GuardStation BoatLaunch

X Beach Boulevard Mississippi Sound 30 20 42.0 88 33 45.0 4 5 Concrete

25 Hwy 63 BoatLaunch

X Cowart Street Escatawpa River 30 22 19.6 88 31 14.5 2 8 Concrete

26 Bayou CassotteBoat Launch

X Ladnier Avenue Bayou Cassotte 30 21 09.0 88 30 31.3 2 8 Concrete

27 Shingle MillLanding BoatLaunch

X 6105 Shingle Mill Landing Road Escatawpa River 30 25 53.9 88 27 52.1 2 15 Concrete

28 Bayou CumbestBoat Launch

X Bayou Cumbest Road Bayou Cumbest 30 23 20.4 88 26 57.6 1 12 Concrete

29 Point O'Pines FishCamp

X Grand Bature Road Bang's Lake 30 23 04.5 88 26 22.9 2 11 Sand/Gravel

30 Bayou Heron BoatLaunch-A

X Bayou Heron Road Bayou Heron 30 24 45.0 88 24 14.8 1 10 Sand/Gravel

31 Bayou Heron BoatLaunch-B

X Bayou Heron Road Bayou Heron 30 24 47.0 88 24 12.4 1 10 Sand/Gravel

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Table 7.Cont.

Map No. Launch Name Water Depthat Launch

(ft.)


Waterbody (ft.)

TrailerParkingSpaces

Car ParkingSpaces


TrashReceptacles?

Comments

1 St. Martin 2.0 2 1.5 acresand/gravel lot

1.5 acresand/gravel

lot

Yes No Yes Suitable only for small, shallow-draft boats

2 Old Fort Bayou 6.0 7 Approx. 15 Approx. 10 Yes No Yes Strong lateral tidal current makes launching/retrieving difficult3 Ocean Springs

Harbor4.5 10 Approx. 35 Approx. 25 Yes Yes Yes Good wave protection, excellent ramp, congested on weekends

4 Gulf IslandsSeashore

4.0 3 12 10 No No Yes Suitable only for very small boats, park closes at 10:00 p.m.except for registered campers

5 Blue HeronMarina

5.0 3 Approx. 6 Approx. 4 Yes No Yes Suitable only for small boats due to steep ramp, limitedmaneuvering room and water depth

6 Graveline 4.0 5 Approx. 6 Approx. 6 No No Yes Depth of access channel limits use to shallow-draft boats7 Shepard State

Park BoatLaunch

2.0 3 Approx. 6 Approx. 6 Yes Insideoffice

Yes Suitable only for small, shallow-draft boats

8 Indian PointPreserve BoatLaunch

4.0 Not Charted Approx. 15 Approx. 15 Yes Insideoffice

Yes Pay park entrance fee, fishing pier available

9 Shimps Time-Out Marina


Yes Marina slips available

10 Paige BayouMarina

6.1 Not Charted Approx. 20 Approx. 20 Yes Inside store Yes Marina slips available

11 San JuanFishing Camp

3.0 Not Charted Approx. 6 Approx. 4 No Insideoffice

No Marina slips available

12 John's BayouMarina


13 PoticawFishing Camp


Yes For members only, visitors must check in and out, marina slipsavailable

14 Pascagoula River GameManagementHeadquartersLaunch


Yes Steep, long and narrow ramp

15 Cumbest BluffBoat Launch

4.0 Not Charted Approx. 15 Approx. 5 Yes No No Pascagoula River Wildlife Management Area

16 Riverbend RVResort


17 The BoatRental

6.0 Not Charted Approx. 15 Approx. 5 Yes Inside store Yes

18 I-10 BoatLaunch

4.2 9 Approx. 24 Approx. 12 No No No Handicapped parking, trans-continental cable crossing

19 Riverfront BoatLaunch

5.7 19 12 6 Yes Inside store Yes

20 ChoctawMarina


Yes Marina slips available

21 Spanish FortBoat Launch

3.0 8 Approx. 10 Approx. 5 Yes No Yes Pier closes and gates closed at sundown

Table 7. Cont.

Map No. Launch Name Water Depthat Launch

(ft.)


Waterbody (ft.)

TrailerParkingSpaces

Car ParkingSpaces


TrashReceptacles?

Comments

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22 PascagoulaRiver ParkBoat Launch

4.2 13 .5 acresand/gravel lot

.5 acresand/gravel

lot

Yes Yes Yes Fishing pier available, near Pascagoula River drawbridge

23 Jaycee BoatLaunch

7.2 3 Approx. 20 Approx. 15 Yes Inside store Yes Near Pascagoula River drawbridge

24 Old CoastGuard StationBoat Launch

4.5 6 Approx. 20 Approx. 10 Yes No Yes Fishing piers available, handicapped parking

25 Hwy 63 BoatLaunch

6.1 12 Approx. 12 Approx. 15 No No No

26 BayouCassotte BoatLaunch

7.4 26 Approx. 15 Approx. 5 Yes Inside store Yes Fishing pier available

27 Shingle MillLanding BoatLaunch

6.0 Not Charted Approx. 50 Approx. 50 Yes Inside store Yes

28 BayouCumbest BoatLaunch

3.0 3 Approx. 10 Approx. 10 Yes Inside store Yes Near Port of Pascagoula

29 Point O'PinesFish Camp

5.0 3 Approx. 50 Approx. 10 Yes Inside store Yes

30 Bayou HeronBoat Launch-A

3.0 Not Charted Approx. 10 Approx. 5 No No No Suitable only for small, shallow-draft boats

31 Bayou HeronBoat Launch-B

3.0 Not Charted Approx. 15 Approx. 10 No No No Suitable only for small, shallow-draft boats

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Coastal Marinas

CREC personnel designed a survey form for Mississippi coastal marinas (see appendices)and conducted the survey in late 1999. All prices given are based on 1999 seasonal rates. Notincluded were private yacht clubs which require memberships or residence within specificcommunities. Also not included are facilities located on military installations and available only tomilitary personnel or dependents. These are not considered true “public access” facilities in thecontext of this report.

Hancock County Marinas

1. Bea & Woodys Marina16463 Hwy. 90, Pearlington, MS 39572Phone: (228) 533-0006

Located on Cowan Bayou (30 14' 30"N./89 36' 20"W.) Room to tie alongside bulkheadfor approximately 6 boats. Marina services include fuel/oil, restaurant, bait/tackle/fishing license,public restrooms, fish cleaning facilities and a boat ramp. Slip utilities include 120 V. power. Rates are $30.00/month.

2. La France Fishing Camp3200 Ansley Rd., Bay St. Louis, MS 39520Phone: (228) 467-9180

Located on Campbell Inside Bayou (30 12' 28"N./89 29' 59"W.) Fifteen covered liftslips, 58 covered dry storage, RV parking. Wet slip rate $722/year, dry slip rate $465/year. Power (120 V. and water included in slip rental. Marina services include fuel/oil, groceries,hauling, bait & tackle, public restrooms, fish cleaning facilities and a boat ramp. Caters primarilyto smaller boats (<25').

3. Bordages Marina6149 Central Ave., Bay St. Louis, MS 39520Phone: (228) 467-0650

Located on Bayou Caddy (30 14' 30"N./89 26' 29"W.) Forty-three wet slips and drystorage for 30 boats. Services include fuel/oil, charter fishing, snacks, hauling, bait & tackle,public restrooms, fish cleaning facilities and a boat ramp. Power (120 V. only) and waterincluded in slip rental fees. Fees are $80 per month for wet slips and $32 per month for drystorage. Caters primarily to smaller boats.

4. Bay Marina RV Park & Lodging100 Bay Marina Dr., Bay St. Louis, MS 39520Phone: (228) 466-4970

Located on Bay St. Louis (30 19' 25"N./89 22' 57"W.) Full-service marina with 85 wetslips and inside dry storage for 40 boats. Slip utilities are 30 amp. 120 V. and 50 amp. 240 V.

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power, water, cable TV, (telephone available). Water included with slip rental. Slip fees rangefrom $4.00-$5.50/ft./month. Dry storage rates are $75.00/month. Six slips available fortransients. Marina services include fuel/oil, on-site mechanic, sewage pump-out, restaurant, ship’sstore, groceries, lodging, liveaboards, sport fishing, frozen bait, public restrooms, showerfacilities, laundry facilities, fish cleaning facilities, and a boat ramp.

5. Casino Magic Marina 711 Casino Magic Dr., Bay St. Louis, MS 39520Phone: (228) 467-9257 ext. 4802

Located on in basin on Bay St. Louis (30 20' 07"N./89 21' 24"W.) Twenty-five wet slipsfor boats to 40'. Limited dry land storage for vehicles on trailers in casino parking lot. Slip rates$3.00/ft./month w/30' minimum. Location adjacent to casino provides access to restrooms,restaurants. Slip utilities include 120 V. power and water included with rent.

Harrison County Marinas

1. Pelican Cove Marina103 West Bayview St., Pass Christian, MS 39571Phone: (228) 452-7390

Located on Bay St. Louis at Henderson Point (30 18' 30"N./89 17' 26"W.) This is a drystack facility with capacity for 160 boats less than 25' and 30 boats between 26'-30'. Rates arebased on rack storage length and range from $128.00/month for boats up to 18' to $225.00/monthfor boats up to 30'. Rates are payable three months in advance and a minimum one-year contractis required. Marina services include fuel/oil, boat and engine repair for tenants, ship’s store, sportfishing, bait & tackle, public restrooms and fish cleaning facilities for tenants. Marina operates atfull capacity in peak season.

2. Pepper’s Discovery Bay24616 Yacht Club Dr., Pass Christian, MS 39571Phone: (228) 452-9441

Located on Bayou Portage (30 20' 49"N./89 15' 27"W.) Fifty slips available for boats upto 40' in length, three slips available for boats over 65'. Monthly slip rates are $2.50/ft. based onboat length. Two to three slips available for transients at a rate of $15/night. There is room foropen dry land storage for 10-15 boats. Slip utilities included with rent are power (120 V./30 amp.and 220 V./50 amp.) and water. Marina services include a restaurant, public restrooms, showerfacilities, laundry facilities, and a boat ramp. Liveaboards are permitted. Due to somewhatdifficult access from land, this facility appeals primarily to the boat owner who wants to “get awayfrom it all.”

3. Pass Christian HarborP.O. Box 368, Pass Christian, MS 39571Phone: (228) 452-3315

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Located on Mississippi Sound (30 18' 43"N./89 14' 58"W.) Municipal marina owned bythe City of Pass Christian. Services available include fuel/oil, boat rental/charter, sewage pump-out, sportfishing, bait/tackle/license, public restrooms, 4 boat ramps, parks and seafood dealers. Fifty slips for boats up to 25', 200 slips for boats 26'-39', 100 slips for boats 40'-65'. Note thatthere is a waiting list for slips in the 40'-65' range. Slip rates are $2.50/ft.Slip utilities included with rent are power (120 V./30 amp. and 220 V./50 amp.) and water. Telephone is available at extra charge. Four slips are available for transients.

4. Long Beach HarborP.O. Box 929Long Beach, MS 39560Phone: (228) 863-4795

Located on Mississippi Sound (30 20' 23"N./89 08' 22"W.) Municipal marina owned bythe city of Long Beach. Services available include fuel/oil, boat rental/charter, sewage pump-out,full-scale grocery store, public restrooms, 3 boat ramps, harbor shop, 24 hour security, publicfishing piers, and a privately-owned towing service. 232 slips of various sizes. Slip rental ratesrange from $2.00 to $4.00/ft. based on owner’s residence (Harrison County, state, out-of-state. Eight transient slips available for $10.00/day. Slip utilities included with rent are power (120V./20-30 amp.) and water. There is a waiting list for permanent slips.

5. Bert Jones Yacht Basin400 20th AvenueP.O. Box 1780Gulfport, MS 39532Phone: (228) 868-5713

Located on Mississippi Sound (30 21' 18"N./89 04' 53"W.) Municipal marina owned bythe City of Gulfport. Services available include fuel/oil, charter fishing, sewage pump-out,restaurant, limited ship’s store, limited groceries, lodging, sportfishing, bait/tackle/license, publicrestrooms, shower facilities, laundry facilities, 8 boat ramps, 24-hour operation and security,continuous monitoring of VHF channel 16. Ten slips designated for boats up to 25', 181 slips forboats 26'-39', 90 slips for boats 40'-65' and 9 for boats over 65'. Slip rental rates are $2.50/ft.($1.50/ft. for Gulfport residents). There are 15 transient slips available for $.50/ft./night. Sliputilities included with rental are power (120 V./30 amp. and 240 V./50 amp.) and water. This is avery popular marina with about 150 boats on the waiting list for slips of all sizes.

6. Rivers Bend Marina1400 Mill RoadGulfport, MS 39507Phone: (228) 896-8300

Located on Bernard Bayou (30 24' 32"N./89 02' 15"W.) Combination dry stack/wet slipmarina. Dry stack storage for 60 boats up to 25' in length at $5.50/ft./month. Eighteen wet slipsfor boats up to 40'. Slip rates are $25.00/day, $50.00/week, and $100.00/month. Slip utilitiesincluded with rental are power (120 V./30 amp.) and water. Marine services include fuel/oil,

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boat/engine repair, boat/engine sales, ships store, hauling to 38'. Planned expansions includebait/tackle/license sales, public restrooms, shower facilities, and laundry facilities.

7. Kremer Marine, Inc.1408 Cowan RoadGulfport, MS 39507Phone: (228) 896-1629

Located on Bernard Bayou (30 24' 20"N./89 01' 38"W.) Marina services includeboat/engine repair, boat/engine sales, ships store, liveaboards, hauling, and bait/tackle/licensesales. Ten slips for boats up to 40', 36 slips for boats 40'-65' and 12 slips for boats over 65'. Slipfees average $100.00 per month. Slip utilities include power (120 V./30 amp. and 220 V./50amp.), water, telephone and cable TV. Only water is included with slip rental.

8. D’Iberville MarinaP.O. Box 6327D’Iberville, MS 39532Phone: (228) 392-2310

Located on Back Bay of Biloxi (30 25' 28"N./88 53' 38"W.) Sixteen slips for boats up to40' in length. Slip rentals are $60.00/month minimum (boats over 30' pay $2.00 additional/ft.) Two transient slips available for boats under 35' at $15.00/day. Slip utilities include 120 V./30amp. power and water. Only water is included with slip rental. Services include a sewage pump-out, fish cleaning facilities and two boat ramps.

9. President Broadwater Marina2110 West Beach BoulevardBiloxi, MS 39531Phone: (228) 385-4097

(800) 647-3964

Located on Mississippi Sound (30 23' 21"N./88 57' 51"W.) Full-service casino resortmarina offers fuel/oil, charter boats, sewage pump-out, restaurant, groceries, lodging, liveaboards,sportfishing, public restrooms, shower facilities, and laundry facilities. Slip utilities included withrent are power (120 V./30 amp. and 220 V./50 amp.) and water. Telephone and cable TV arealso available at extra charge. Marina has 27 slips for boats up to 25', 30 slips for boats 26'-39',55 slips for boats 40'-65', and 6 slips for boats larger than 65'. Most of the slips are covered, sothe marina appeals primarily to power boats. There is a waiting list of 75 boats for slips at thisfacility with most demand coming from the 40'-65' sector. Ten to twelve transient slips areavailable at $1.25/ft./night. Other slip fees range from $8.00/ft./month in the winter to$10.00/ft./month in the summer. A limited number of permanent slips are offered at$6.50/ft./month.

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10. Beau Rivage Marina875 Beach BoulevardBiloxi, MS 39530Phone: (228) 386-7580

Located on Mississippi Sound (30 23' 34"N./88 53' 39"W.) Full-service casino resortmarina offers fuel/oil, boat rental/charter, sewage pump-out, restaurant, lodging, sportfishing,public restrooms, shower facilities, fish cleaning facilities, and laundry facilities. Forty slips willaccommodate boats up to 100' in length. There is currently a waiting list for 65' slips. Slip utilitiesincluded with rent are power (240-208 volts/30-50-100 amps.), water, telephone and cable TV. The marina caters to transients and tries to keep 20 slips available at $2.50/ft./night. Monthlyrates are based on slip size and are currently $500.00 for a 50' slip, $720.00 for a 65' slip and$1,500.00 for a 100' slip. This is an upscale facility targeting larger vessels.

11. Biloxi Small Craft HarborP.O. Box 1908Biloxi, MS 39533Phone: (228) 374-6600

Located on Mississippi Sound (30 23' 31"N./88 53' 05"W.) Full-service municipalowned by the City of Biloxi. Services include fuel/oil, boat rental/charter, sewage pump-out,restaurant, ships store, liveaboards, sportfishing bait/tackle/license, public restrooms, showerfacilities, one boat ramp, and a 1-4 ton hoist. Marina is fully utilized with over 200 boats on thewaiting list for permanent slips. Ten slips are available for transients at $.50/ft./night. Monthlyslip rental rates are $2.50/ft. There are 14 slips for boats up to 25', 34 slips for boats 26'-39' and103 slips for boats 40'-65'. Power (125 V./30-50 amp. and 250 V./50-100 amp.), water,telephone and cable TV are all available slip utilities. Only water is included in the slip rental fee.

12. Bay Point High & Dry165 5th StreetBiloxi, MS 39530Phone: (228) 374-7766

Located at the entrance of Back Bay of Biloxi (30 24' 04"N./88 51' 33"W.) This isprimarily a dry-stack facility with 100' feet of dock space used for transient boats ($1.00/ft./day). Dry stack capacity for boats under 25' is 110 boats. Monthly dry-stack storage are $6.00/ft.based on the size of the boat. Dockside utilities included with rent for transients are power (120V./30 amp. and 220 V./50 amp.) and water. Marine services include fuel/oil, boat/engine repair,boat rental/charter, used boat broker, public restrooms, and fish cleaning facilities. A restaurant,ships store, groceries, and lodging are all available nearby.

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13. Point Cadet MarinaP.O. Box 1908Biloxi, MS 39533Phone: (228) 374-6600

Located on Mississippi Sound (30 23' 23"N./88 51' 28"W.) Full-service municipalmarina owned by the City of Biloxi. Services include fuel/oil, boat rental/charter, sewage pump-out, restaurant, ships store, lodging, liveaboards, sportfishing bait/tackle/license, public restrooms,shower facilities, laundry facilities, and fish cleaning facilities. Marina is fully utilized with over200 boats on the waiting list for permanent slips. Twenty slips are available for transients at$.50/ft./night. Monthly slip rental rates are $3.00/ft. There are 47 slips for boats up to 25', 126slips for boats 26'-39' and 115 slips for boats 40'-65', and 16 slips for boats larger than 65'. Power(125 V./30-50 amp. and 250 V./50-100 amp.), water, telephone and cable TV are all available sliputilities but only water is included in the slip rental fee.

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Jackson County Marinas

1. Ocean Springs Small Craft Harbor6912 North Washington AvenueOcean Springs, MS 39564Phone: (228) 872-5754

Located on Mississippi Sound (30 24' 13"N./88 49' 25"W.) Municipal marina servicesinclude sewage pump-out, liveaboards, sportfishing, fish cleaning facilities, and four boat ramps. Slip utilities included with rent are power (120 V./30 amp.) and water. Slip rates are$3.50/ft./month. There are 178 slips available for boats of all sizes but boaters are advised that there is currently a two-year waiting list for permanent slips and no slips are available on atransient basis.

2. Harbor Pointe2421 Beachview DriveOcean Springs, MS 39564Phone: (228) 875-8801

Located on Simmons Bayou (30 22' 28"N./88 45' 37"W.) Marina has 110 slips for boatsup to 40'. Boaters should be advised that shallow draft of Simmons Bayou (3' nominal) limitsaccess to smaller or shallow-draft boats. Power (120 V./30 amp.) and water are included withslip rentals. Rates are $3.00/ft./month based on boat size.

3. John’s Bayou MarinaJohn’s Bayou Marina RoadVancleave, MS 39565Phone: (228) 826-4482

Located on the Pascagoula River (30 29' 56"N./88 38' 31"W.) Upriver location catersprimarily to small boats. Marina services include fuel/oil, bait/tackle/license, public restrooms,fish cleaning facilities, and one boat ramp. There are 50 slips for boats up to 25' in length. Dockside power is 120 V./20 amp. The is off-season dry storage capacity for 10 boats ($35-$40/month). Slip rates average $25-$30/month.

4. Paige Bayou MarinaRouses Marina RoadVancleave, MS 39565Phone: (228) 826-4444

Located on the Pascagoula River (30 29' 11"N./88 38' 42"W.) Upriver location catersprimarily to small boats. Marina services include fuel/oil, sewage pump-out, groceries,liveaboards, bait/tackle, public restrooms, fish cleaning facilities, and two boat ramps. The facilityalso rents out camper spots with full hook-ups for $150/month. There are 25 slips for boats up to25' in length and 10 slips for boats 26'-39' in length. Dockside power (120 V./20 amp.) and water

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are included in slip rental. Other slip utilities available at extra charge are telephone and cable TV The is off-season dry storage capacity for 5 boats ($40-$45/month). Slip rates average $25-$40/month for smaller boats and $75/month for large boats.

5. Mary Walker Marina3308 Mary Walker DriveGautier, MS 39553Phone: (228) 497-3141

Located on Mary Walker Bayou just off the West Pascagoula River (30 23' 22"N./88 36'56"W.) Marina services include fuel/oil, sewage pump-out, ships store, liveaboards, sportfishing,hauling for boats up to 27' in length, bait/tackle/license, public restrooms, fish cleaning facilities,two boat ramps and bottom painting. There are 30 slips for boats up to 25' in length, 40 slips forboats 26'-39', 30 slips for boats 40'-65' and dry stack storage for 60 boats up to 27' in length. Three slips are available for transients at $.50/ft./night. Permanent slip rentals range from $65-$175/month based on the slip size. Water is provided but slip renters must arrange for anyadditional utilities individually. There is a waiting list for this facility as it operates at capacityyear-round.

6. Tucei’s Fishing Camp3300 Oak Street

Gautier, MS 39553Phone: (228) 497-6743

Located on the Pascagoula River (30 23' 21"N./88 36' 45"N.) Marina services includefuel/oil, sewage pump-out, lodging, liveaboards. bait/tackle/license, public restrooms, laundryfacilities, two boat ramps and 20 camper hook-ups. Four slips are available for transients at$5.00/day. There are 28 permanent slips for boats up to 40'. Slip rentals range from $100/monthfor smaller boats up to $3.75/ft./month for boats over 28' with a one-year lease. Slip utilitiesinclude power (120 V./30 amp. and 220 V./50 amp.) and water (water is included in rent). Thereis outside dry storage for 28 boats in the 30' range for $100/month.

7. Choctaw Marina3301 Hemlock AvenueMoss Point, MS 39563Phone: (228) 475-6100

Located on the Pascagoula River (30 24' 01"N./88 33' 19"W.) Marina services includefuel/oil, restaurant, hauling, bait/tackle/license, public restrooms, fish cleaning facilities, and twolaunch ramps. Forty slips are available for smaller boats only (<25'), about four of these are keptfor daily rental. Slip rates are $5.00/day and $35.00/month.

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8. Pascagoula Inner HarborP.O. Drawer 908Pascagoula, MS 39568Phone: (228) 938-6600

Located on Mississippi Sound at the mouth of the Pascagoula River (30 20' 52"N./88 33'26"W.) Municipal marina with sewage pump-out and a handicap accessible berth. Slip utilitiesincluded with rent are power (120 V./30 amp. and 240 V./50 amp.) and water. There are 60 slipsfor boats up to 40' in length and several moorings for larger boats. Rental rates are$2.50/ft./month. There is a 1-2 year waiting list for slips. One transient slip is kept available freeof charge.

IV. Comparative Pricing Structure:

CREC personnel conducted a survey of marinas located within the northern Gulf ofMexico boating region (east side of the Mississippi river through the Florida panhandle) toprovide comparison slip rental rates. With the exception of marinas located in the New Orleansmetropolitan area operated by the New Orleans Levee Board, all facilities in surrounding statesare privately operated. Mississippi, with many public marinas, is at the very bottom of the pricescale. For example, slip rental rates in the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area of Alabama range from$8.00-$14.00/ft./month and do not include power. Public marinas in Louisiana have comparableor slightly higher rates than Mississippi but most of these facilities do not provide slip-side power. Private marina slip rates in Louisiana range from about $4.00-$8.00/ft./month and do not includepower. Rates in the Florida panhandle range from $4.00-$14.00/ft./month (including all utilities).

The difference in slip rental rates between public and private facilities in Mississippi andthe difference between facilities in surrounding states and those in Mississippi is likely acontributing factor to the demand for dock space at Mississippi public marinas. Additionally,below-market pricing at public facilities in Mississippi makes it extremely difficult for potentialprivate sector marina operators to compete in the Mississippi market. As an example of whatessentially amounts to public subsidy of recreational boat ownership in Mississippi, consider thefollowing scenario: A Gulfport resident can keep a 40' boat in the Bert Jones Yacht Basin for$60.00/month and use $40.00/month in power at no charge, essentially making the slip rental rate$20.00/month. It is even conceivable if the boat owner chooses to run the vessel air conditionercontinuously, that the power bill for the slip paid by the marina could exceed the slip rental rate! Certainly, no privately owned facility could operate in this manner or they would soon be out ofbusiness. The Biloxi Port Commission has installed meters on the slips at its two marinas in orderto address this issue, but other publicly-owned marinas along the coast from Pascagoula to PassChristian continue to include power in the slip rental fee.

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V. Site Considerations and Recommendations for Future Recreational Boating Access:

Site Selection Criteria

• Access to sheltered navigable water. Site should provide protection for moored vesselsfrom waves, wakes and currents and be near deep water to minimize dredgingrequirements.

• Competing/compatible uses. Site should follow coastal wetlands use plan guidelinesspecified in the Mississippi Coastal Program, and be compatible with projected regionalgrowth patterns. Upland property requirements, ownership and zoning should also beconsidered. Water-dependent uses should be categorized separately from water-enhanceduses.

• Road access. Site should be near existing highways and roads capable of handling trafficassociated with facility construction and operation.

• Proximity to areas of highest recreational boating demand. Current needs and projectedneeds should be incorporated in facility design capacity. A “phased” approach to allowfor future expansion should be considered.

• Environmental sensitivity. Sites selected for recreational boating access should avoid orminimize to the greatest extent possible adverse impacts on wetland and submergedaquatic vegetation as well as other important habitats such as oyster reefs. Dredge and fillrequirements should be minimized by proper site selection/orientation. “Clustering” offacility infrastructure should be used to maximize green space, preserve and enhanceviewsheds, and protect areas of natural and historical significance (e.g. live oak groves,shell middens).

Site Recommendations

In reviewing the previous section on demand, it becomes readily apparent that the highestdemand for additional recreational boating access is in Harrison County followed closely byJackson County. Hancock County is unique among the coastal counties in that it has no publiclyowned and operated marinas for recreational boaters at this time.

The figures generated for boat ramp lane needs using the “Florida method” are somewhatmisleading in that the figures represent what is needed for peak demand periods such as weekendsand holidays during the boating season. These figures are also based on a “zero wait time” forramp use. Further, because the model incorporates data for county boat registrations, there is noway to account for non-resident boater demand. This is particularly problematic for HancockCounty where many Louisiana residents have summer homes and contribute significantly tofacility demand during the boating season. A more realistic approach to avoid overbuilding oframps might be to start with one quarter of the indicated lane needs for Harrison and Jacksoncounties and to double the amount indicated for Hancock county. These estimates are subjective

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and based on observations of existing ramp utilization along the coast during peak and non-peakperiods. Following this line of reasoning, there is an immediate need for 6 ramp lanes in HancockCounty, 10 in Harrison County and 9 in Jackson County.

Hancock County has about 175 wet slips that can be classified as “public” (i.e. no clubmembership, military affiliation or subdivision residence is required for access). There arecurrently about 400 boats registered in Hancock County over 26' in length (these are boats thatmost probably would require wet slips as opposed to being stored on trailers). The currentwaiting list for slips in Hancock County is 15-20 boats which is about 10 percent of the existingcapacity. Harrison County has about 1,630 public wet slips, 1,264 boats over 26' in length and awaiting list for wet slips of about 750 boats (46 percent of existing capacity). Jackson County hasabout 600 public wet slips, 915 boats over 26' in length and a waiting list for wet slips of about300 boats (50 percent of existing capacity).

Based on information generated during the CREC survey of Mississippi coastalrecreational boating infrastructure, it appears that significant gains could be made byenhancing/expanding existing facilities. For example, many boat ramps have no designatedparking areas, forcing boaters to park their vehicles on the roadside near the ramp. The additionof a simple parking lot could increase ramp capacity. Slips could be added to existing marinas in aseaward direction thus minimizing dredging requirements and negating the need for linearexpansion along the shoreline. In general, unused sites along the Mississippi coast suitable for thedevelopment of water-dependent industry are scarce. In Harrison and Hancock counties, thosesites that are available have become prohibitively expensive during the current era of docksidegaming development. This is particularly true in the City of Biloxi where an industry that is onlywater-dependent by legislation has displaced industries that are truly water-dependent. There arepotential marina development sites that may be relatively free of environmental constraints, butwould not be favored by the recreational boating community due to non-compatible nearbydevelopment and long travel times to reach offshore waters (e.g. Gulfport Lake). Given theserealities and the above site selection criteria, suggested areas deemed suitable for new recreationalboating infrastructure are presented in a general manner for each of the three coastal counties. Site-specific assessments are beyond the scope of this document, but examples are included in theappendices.

Hancock County

There is no apparent immediate need for recreational wet storage facilities, but new and/orexpanded ramp facilities are needed. Hancock County has recently upgraded facilities forcommercial boats in Bayou Caddy and has plans to expand the same facility to accommodaterecreational boats in the future. This may not be the best course of action because of therelatively remote location and the fact that infrastructure needs of a working waterfront are notnecessarily compatible with recreational facility development. Commercial boats need space tostore and work on fishing gear, need unloading facilities such as conveyor belts and thaw tanks,and have operational support needs that exceed recreational boating requirements. Chief amongthe latter are fuel, ice and used oil disposal. On the other hand, recreational facilities usually put

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more emphasis on amenities such as parking, security and access to nearby restaurants andshopping.

Two general areas in Hancock County that could be considered for additional recreationalboating facility development are the Cedar Point area at the mouth of the Jordan River and thedowntown Bay St. Louis waterfront. Downtown facilities could possibly tie into existinginfrastructure such as fishing piers/jetties and the railroad bridge.

Harrison County

Ironically, the county with the greatest need for additional recreational boating accessdevelopment has the fewest available spaces to develop. This is particularly true in Biloxi wheresites zoned and legal for dockside gaming development have essentially put waterfront propertyout of the market for all other purposes. The two best ways for Harrison County to achieveadditional recreational boating capacity are through the expansion of existing facilities andrequiring any new casino development to provide public boating access facilities as an offset tocoastal impacts on water-dependent industry. There is precedent for requiring this type of gamingdevelopment mitigation. Grand Casino in Gulfport built new docks for commercial vesselsdisplaced by casino development in Gulfport Harbor.

Other sites that may bear closer examination in Harrison County are the Clay Point area inBiloxi, and Shipyard Point in D’Iberville. A private developer is currently proposing to build a102-slip recreational marina in the Clay Point area. In general, any new development in the BackBay of Biloxi should be sited to the east of the Popp’s Ferry bridge in order to minimize conflictsbetween boat and vehicle traffic caused by bridge openings for sailboats and larger power vessels. There has been some interest recently in developing new recreational boating access sites alongthe Harrison County sand beach. Because of the non-protected nature of these sites and existingshallow water conditions, these facilities will be costly to develop and maintain (see appendices).

Jackson County

Jackson County voters decided not to support gaming development within their county. As a result, development of commercial and industrial waterfront for water-dependent use is stillfeasible in many areas. In addition, the relative lack of municipal and county owned wet slips hascaused Jackson County to be viewed more favorably than Harrison County by private-sectormarina developers. Currently, private sector developers have tentative plans for three sites withinJackson County: 1) between the railroad and Old Highway 90 bridge in Ocean Springs at themouth of Back Bay of Biloxi; 2) in Marsh Lake between Pascagoula River and West PascagoulaRiver; and 3) just north of Highway 90 on the east bank of the Pascagoula River. Work iscurrently underway to replace the Pascagoula River Highway 90 drawbridge with a high rise fixedspan. This will be of great benefit to both vehicular traffic on Highway 90 and marine trafficusing the busy Pascagoula River waterway. Another area in Jackson County suitable forrecreational boating access development is along the Escatawpa River in Moss Point.

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VI. Summary:

There is an immediate need for additional recreational boating access infrastructure on theMississippi Gulf Coast. The shortage of boat ramps and marina space will become more acute asthe coastal population and per capita income of coast residents continue to increase in the future.

Private sector development to meet the demands of Mississippi recreational boaters willlikely not occur as long as public sector facilities continue to provide services at below-marketprices. Waterfront property suitable for boating facility development is scarce due to competinguses for water-dependent property, environmental constraints, and the coastal regulatory/zoningregime. Currently, the most cost-effective means of meeting the demand for additionalrecreational boating capacity appears to be through the expansion/enhancement of existingfacilities and requiring new waterfront development to include boating access facilities whereappropriate.

If the primary emphasis is serving the needs of Mississippi boaters, all public marinasshould consider adopting the tiered-fee mechanism which is already in place at some facilities. Under this scheme, non-resident boaters pay a higher fee for slip rentals which effectivelyincreases space available for residents. Finally, some of the needed expansion at public facilitiescould be funded by slip fee increases more in line with the regional average.

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References

Antonini, G. A., F. Bell, E. Kampert, C. Sidman, R. Swett, and H. Tupper. 1997. Planning forPublic Access: A Geographic Information Systems Approach to Evaluate Site Suitabilityfor Future Marinas, Ramps and Docks. Technical Paper - 87. Florida Sea Grant CollegeProgram, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

Bell, F. W., 1995. Estimation of the Present and Projected Demand and Supply of Boat Rampsfor Florida’s Coastal Regions and Counties. Technical Paper - 77. Florida Sea GrantCollege Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

Gulf South Economic Research Center, 1998. (personal communication). Demographic Data forHancock, Harrison and Jackson counties in Mississippi.

Henning, B. R., 1998. Louisiana Marina Directory - Fourth Edition. Louisiana Sea GrantCollege Program, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Lipton, D. W., and S. Miller., 1995. Recreational Boating in Maryland - An Economic ImpactStudy. Publication No. UM-SG-MAP-95-02, Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program,College Park, Maryland.

Mississippi Boat and Water Safety Commission. 1999. Summary Report of Boating CertificatesIssued. Jackson, Mississippi.

Mississippi Department of Wildlife Conservation Bureau of Marine Resources, 1988. MississippiCoastal Program. Biloxi, Mississippi.

Pomeroy, R. S., 1987. Economic Analysis of Coastal Marinas in South Carolina. South CarolinaSea Grant Consortium Working Paper Series. Department of Agricultural Economics &Rural Sociology, Clemson University.

Ramsey, C.G., and H.R. Sleeper. 1994. Architectural Graphic Standards, Ninth Edition. JohnWiley & Sons, Inc. New York, New York

Sand Beach Planning Team, 1986. Master Plan for Shorefront Protection and UtilizationHancock County, Mississippi. Long Beach, Mississippi.

Smith, V. K., 1989. Taking Stock of Progress with Travel Cost Recreation Demand Methods:Theory and Implementation. Marine Resources Economics, Vol. 6, pp. 279-310.

Talhelm, D. R., 1999. Marina Economics 101. Marina Dock Age, Vol. 12, No. 5, pp. 38-40.

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Appendices

I. Coastal Boat Launch Assessment Form

II. Mississippi Coastal Marina Survey

III. Assessment of Iberville Drive Boat Launch Facility

IV. Courthouse Road/Ken Combs Pier Boat Launch Renovation

Appendix I.

Coastal Boat Launch Assessment Form

Launch Site Name:______________________________________Date:___________

County: Hancock Harrison Jackson

Latitude:________________Longitude:_______________

Ownership: Public Private

If privately owned: launch fee? Yes No

Number of ramps:__________

Slope of ramp(s)______% ______degrees

Ramp surface:_____________

Depth of water at end of ramp(s):______ft.

Charted depth of adjacent water body:________ft.

Are there loading/unloading facilities to ease congestion? Yes No

Number of trailer parking spaces:_______

Number of car parking spaces:_________

Parking are surface: asphalt concrete shell sand other:____________

Comfort facilities? Yes No If yes, describe:____________________________

Is the are lighted? Yes No If yes, describe:____________________________

Are there trash receptacles? Yes No If yes, describe:______________________

Comments: (protected from waves/currents? other boat traffic? adequate signage on water/land? etc.)

Appendix II.

MISSISSIPPI COASTAL MARINA SURVEY

1. Name of Marina _________________________________________________Contact Person _________________________________________________Address ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________County _______________________ Phone ____________________________Water Location __________________________________________________Lat. __________________________ Long. ____________________________

2. Would you classify your marina as (may check more than one):a. Private/Members Only _____________b. Private/Open to the Public ______________c. Publicly Owned ___________________

3. How long has there been a marina at this site? __________________4. How long have the present owners owned this marina? __________________

5. Do you consider your business a:marina _________ boatyard __________ combination _________dry land marina _________ yacht club ________ other _________

6. Which services does your marina provide?fuel/oil __________repair boats/engines ________________boat rental/charter _________________boat/engine sales __________________sewage pump-out __________________restaurant ________________ships store _________________groceries ________________lodging _________________liveaboards _________________sportfishing _________________hauling __________________bait/tackle/license ___________________public restrooms ___________________shower facilities ___________________laundry facilities ____________________fish cleaning facilities ___________________boat ramp(s) (indicate number) ______________other (please list) _____________________________________________

7. Which slip utilities does your marina provide?Power:_________ volts _________ amps; __________ volts _________ amps

Water ________ Telephone ________ Cable TV _________Included with rent?

Power ________ Water ________ Telephone _______ Cable TV ______

8. What is the dry land acreage of this marina? _______________________________

9. What is the capacity of this marina and how much of this capacity was utilized during thepast year?

Number % Utilized<25' 26-39' 40-65' >65' Peak Season Off Season

slips _____ ______ ______ ______ __________ _________dry stack _____ ______ ______ ______ __________ _________

10. What percentage of these boats are sail _______ and power _______?

11. Is there a waiting list for your marina? __________(if “yes” please indicate number)<25' 26-39' 40-65' >65'

slips _____ ______ ______ ______dry stack _____ ______ ______ ______

12. What is your off season (dry) boat storage capacity?Number % Utilized Average Length Rates

inside (not dry stack) _______ _________ _____________ ___________outside _______ _________ _____________ ___________

13. What is the marina’s rate schedule for slip rentals (not including utilities)?Rate per foot (or slip size)

daily _____________________________________________________weekly _____________________________________________________monthly _____________________________________________________yearly/seasonal _____________________________________________________permanent _____________________________________________________

14. What is the marina’s rate schedule for dry stack storage? (attach schedule)

15. How many slips are available on a daily rental/transient basis? ____________

16. What are your major business problems? (rank by importance)

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Appendix III.

Assessment of Iberville Drive Boat Launch Facility

Background and Project Description

The economic boom currently being experienced in coastal Mississippi has increased the usageand placed unprecedented demands on existing public, beach access facilities especially along thefront beach in Harrison County. Population growth and increased visitation rates from outsidethe coastal area have caused existing access facilities to be overtaxed and currently insufficient tomeet this demand. In one instance, surrounding development caused a traditionally much usedpublic boat ramp to be virtually inaccessible (Oak Street). The Kuhn Street boat ramp has verylimited parking and problematic access to/from busy Highway 90. The only other boat launchfacility with close access to the Mississippi Sound and barrier islands is located in the Biloxi SmallCraft Harbor. This facility does have adequate parking, clear highway access, and is within anenclosed basin with close access to the west Biloxi channel. The Biloxi Harbor facility is currentlythe favored location for recreational boaters but cannot meet the demand, particularly onweekends and holiday periods. The three existing sites do have favorable aspects: 1) they arelocated within an enclosed basin and/or are sheltered by Deer Island and 2) they are located withinclose proximity to an existing navigational channel (the West Biloxi Channel). There are no otherlaunching facilities along the front beach in Biloxi.

Other launching facilities within Harrison County are located at the Gulfport, Long Beach andPass Christian small craft harbors. The limited number of boat launch facilities along front beachin Biloxi restricts the ability of small boat owners to access many fishing and recreational locationswithin the Sound. In an effort to reconcile this problem, a public boat launch facility has beenproposed for construction on the front beach at Iberville Drive in middle Biloxi. The proposedfacility consists of a recreational boat launch ramp capable of launching/retrieving four boats at atime; a dredged, 40-foot wide, 1,545-foot long approach channel; 1,545 linear feet of concreterubble jetty; car and trailer parking and access road development.

The Mississippi State University/Coastal Research and Extension Center (CREC) was asked toprovide guidance related to a potential new public boat launch development site at Iberville Drive. Site specific plans for the Iberville Drive facility were not available. Consequently, some of thecomments in this analysis are based on an earlier proposed plan for a facility which was to beplaced at the foot of McDonnel Avenue.

Description of Study Area

The 26-mile, front beach along Harrison County is an artificial beach. It was originallyconstructed in 1951-1952 to provide protection and anchorage for the existing seawall. Sandused to create the beach was dredged from plentiful deposits located immediately offshore fromthe seawall. Constant erosion and the devastating effects of hurricanes required the beaches to berenourished in 1972-1973 and again in 1987-1988.

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The proposed project area is located on the artificial beach at Iberville Drive. The width of thebeach at this location is approximately 240 feet. The beach sands are routinely groomed andgraded resulting in a flat, straight and featureless morphology. The nearshore slope is very gentle,probably less than a three foot vertical drop over a horizontal distance of 1,300 feet. The lengthof the beach is interrupted with a series of shore-perpendicular storm drains that extendapproximately 360 feet from Highway 90 into the Sound. These storm drains act as groinstrapping sands from westward littoral drift resulting in a scallop-shaped shoreline. There is anexisting, small parking bay between Highway 90 and the beach. To the west of the project site arecommercial developments extending approximately 1.4 miles to the Broadwater Resort/PresidentCasino complex. A continuous strand of sand beach approximately 195 feet wide exists on thesouth side of the commercial developments. To the east of the proposed project area is sandbeach for approximately 2.4 miles to the I-110 interchange.

Physical Characteristics

Wind and Waves

The annual dominant wind direction is from the easterly directions while winds from the north andsouth are frequent. In the spring, prevailing winds are southeast having a strong easterncomponent. The summer months show equal frequencies of east, southeast and southerly winddirections. The dominant spring and summer wind patterns result from the expansion of theBermuda High causing prevalent southeast and easterly winds. The passage of continental coldfronts in the fall and winter follows the decline of the Bermuda High. At this time, thepredominant winds come from the northern quadrants. East and northeast winds prevail in the fallwhile in the winter months winds from the north, northeast, east and southeast occur equally. Theannual resultant wind direction is from the east. In both the fall and winter seasons the resultantwind direction is east-northeasterly while in the spring, east-southeasterly winds result and in thesummer, southeast.

There are no known, comprehensive wave studies or wave data bases available for the projectarea. Because the barrier islands provide protection to the mainland from storm generated wavesin the Gulf of Mexico, wave height and direction along the front beach of Harrison County resultfrom the prevailing wind direction and intensity. Limited fetch across the Mississippi Sound andthe overall shallow water depths limit wave height. Waves breaking on the beach are commonlyless than one foot, although, higher wave heights can occur. Waves can physically approach thefront beach from the eastern, southern and western directions, however, the predominant waveapproach is from the east and southeast. Waves approaching the beach from these directions setup westward flowing currents and result in westward drift of sediments. In addition to thesemacro climatic conditions, the sand beach/shore interface creates a diurnal land and sea breezephenomenon. Differences in land and water temperatures create a landward breeze duringdaytime hours and a seaward flow during nighttime hours. This effect is most prevalent duringthe summer months corresponding with the peak of boating season.

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Tides

Tides in the proposed project area are microtidal i.e., the tidal range is less than 6 ft. (2 m). However, both astronomical and meteorological tides influence the area. Astronomical tides arediurnal, i.e. usually one high and one low water per day with an average tidal range ofapproximately 2 ft. (0.6 m). Tidal range fluctuates seasonally with a minimal range of 0 to 1.5 ft(0.5 m) during the winter months and a maximum range of 2 to 3 ft (0.6 to 0.9 m) during thesummer months. Because of the minimal tide range of the area, meteorological conditions oftenexert a strong influence on local tide elevations. Strong southerly winds push water into the areaexaggerating and often maintaining high water conditions. Strong northerly winds push water outof the area exaggerating and maintaining low water conditions often resulting in the exposure oflarge sandy shoal areas in the nearshore.

Sediments

Sediment on the front beach was dredged from offshore borrow pits and deposited as part of aneffort to protect the seawall and Highway 90. The sediment consists mostly of quartz sand andsilt with little organic matter. To help determine if the sediments proposed to be dredged forconstruction of the boat launch facility can be used as renourishment sands on the downdriftbeaches, eleven grab samples of sediment were collected along a transect at the project site. Thetransect trended perpendicular to shore, starting on the beach and continuing into the nearshorefor 1,300 feet. Samples were taken every 200 feet or closer if deemed necessary. Standard sieveanalysis was completed by Micro Methods, Inc. using one-phi mesh diameter intervals.

Grain Size Analysis

Graphs of the grain size analysis for each sample are shown in Figure 1. There is little variationin the size distribution of sediments collected from within the nearshore (samples 1300, 1100,900, 700, 600, 500, 300 and 100 feet). In these samples, the modal grain size (the mostfrequently occurring grain diameter) is 2.75 phi (0.15 mm). This grain size comprises over 60percent of each sample. Grain sizes of 1.75 phi (0.3 mm) and 3.75 phi (0.08 mm) comprisebetween 10 and 30 percent and 5 and 9 percent respectively. Each of the other grain sizescomprises less than 3 percent of the sample. Based on these data, these sediments are classified asfine and medium sands.

The distribution of grain sizes in the swash line (foreshore) and two beach (berm) samples differslightly from the samples collected in the nearshore. There are two modal grain sizes in the swashline sample, 0.75 and 1.75 phi (0.6 and 0.3 mm) with smaller percentages measured for the othergrain sizes. This sediment is described more as medium and coarse sand. This is not surprisingbecause higher energy levels exist in the foreshore and result in more efficient winnowing of finesfrom the sediment leaving the coarser sediment behind. The two beach samples differ slightlyfrom each other. Beach #1 has a modal grain size of 1.75 phi (0.3 mm) with grain sizes on eitherside of the mode in excess of 10 percent. Beach #2 has two modal grain sizes 1.75 and 2.75 phi(0.3 and 0.15 mm) comprising over 85 percent of the sample. Sample beach #1 would tend to beclassified more as medium sand while sample Beach #2 fine/medium sand.

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In general, the grain size distribution of the sediments collected along the transect are similar. Asexpected, the sediments in the nearshore are slightly finer than those on the beach. The fines ofthe beach sediment are winnowed out by wave action and transported aerially by winds leavinghigher percentages of coarser sediment.

While this cursory analysis tends to support the potential use of sediments dredged from theproposed access channel as renourishment sands for the beach, these data are for surface samplesonly. Vertical cores within the proposed project area were not collected and analyzed for thisreport. Core sample taken by the Mississippi Department of Geology and Gulf Coast ResearchLaboratory in the Belle Fontaine area suggest that medium to fine sands might be found atsufficient depths to allow use of the dredged sediments for beach renourishment. It is importantto understand how the sediment characteristics might change with depth.

Sediment Transport

In general, there are three forces that affect the transport of sediment on beaches: waves, windand currents. The dominant forces along the Harrison County beaches include waves and winds. While nearshore currents also contribute to sand transport within the beach system, currents areminimal within the project area.

Because the dominant wave direction is from the southeast (resulting from the prevailing winds)littoral drift processes cause alongshore sediment transport to be toward the west along the frontbeaches. Westward moving sediment is trapped on the east side of shore perpendicular structurese.g. harbor extensions and storm drain outfalls. Consequently, sediment accretes on the east sideof structures, can no longer move toward the west and is, therefore, no longer available toreplenish beaches on the downdrift side of structures. This results in erosion on the downdriftbeaches of shore perpendicular structures.

Wind also results in loss of sediment from the beach system. Winds carry sediment from thebeaches where they become trapped by the stepped seawall. As the steps of the seawall becomeprogressively filled, the seawall resembles more of a ramp which then facilitates the movement ofsediment off the beach. The wind blown sediment accumulates on the parking bays, medians androadway of Highway 90. This can represent a substantial amount of sediment lost from thesystem if during highway sediment removal work, the sediment is not returned to the beach.

Sediment Budget

Sediment losses from the Harrison County beaches result from longshore, offshore and airborneprocesses. The following estimates are from information obtained from the Harrison CountySand Beach Master Plan.

Offshore Sediment Transport. The majority of offshore sediment transport occurs during highenergy events where wave energy tends to remove sediments from the berm and deposit themonto offshore bars or beyond. Offshore sediment transport resulting from this type of wave actionis the most difficult to quantify. It is estimated that annual offshore losses resulting from this type

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of transport amount to less than 0.25 cubic yards per front foot of beach or approximately 27,000cubic yards per year.

Airborne Sediment Transport. Airborne sediment transport results when winds are strong enoughto carry sediment across the beach and ultimately over the seawall and out of the system. It isestimated that sediment losses resulting from this type of transport are on the order of 0.50 cubicyards per front foot of beach per year. This type of sediment transport is considered a loss to thesystem because sand removed from the parking bays and roadway is trucked to upland disposalsites and not returned to the beach. It is estimated that the airborne component of sedimenttransport is responsible for approximately one-half of the total sediment loss from the beachsystem.

Longshore Sediment Transport. Longshore sediment transport within the proposed project areais from east to west. Sediment transport rates are dependent on wave height and wave approachangle. It has been shown that for an uninterrupted beach, (i.e. a beach with no perturbations suchas storm drains or harbor extensions), with waves approaching at a 15 degree angle, the sedimenttransport rate increases rapidly with breaking wave height. Table 1 shows this relationship. Estimates of the effective wave height is on the order of one-half to one foot and therefore, thenet annual longshore sediment transport without the effects of shore perpendicular structureswould range between 38,000 and 216,000 cubic yards. However, the existence of shoreperpendicular structures greatly reduces these estimates. With the existence of perpendicularinterruptions along the Harrison County beaches, it is estimated that annual losses due tolongshore sediment transport, primarily around the groin at Henderson Point, amount toapproximately 20,000 cubic yards. The effects of this type of sediment transport near theproposed project site can be seen at each storm drain. Sediment is accumulating on the easternside of the drains and erosion is occurring on the western (downdrift) side resulting in thescalloped shape of the shoreline.

Table 1. Computations of Net Annual Longshore Sediment Transport, Q. Computations arebased on Q = K H5/2 sin 2á and a wave angle of 15 degrees where K is a constant, H = breakingwave height and á = angle of breaking wave (from Harrison County Sand Beach Master Plan1986)

Wave HeightH (ft)

Annual Rate of Net Longshore SedimentTransport, Q, (yd3/yr)

0.51.01.5

38,000216,000596,000

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Site Development Considerations

Dredging/Maintenance Dredging

Based on the plans provided for the McDonnel Avenue site, approximately 11,500 cubic yards ofmaterial will have to be dredged to develop a launch basin and access channel. Surface sedimentsamples obtained by CREC and analyzed by Micro Methods, Inc. show the predominance of fineto medium sands which are subject to littoral transport. Core samples should be obtained in orderto determine if the dredged material at the designed depth (5' minimum) is suitable for depositionon the existing sand beach at the site. This could have a dramatic effect on dredging costs whichmight range from $5 to $15 per cubic yard. Consideration should also be given to timing thedevelopment to coincide with sand beach replenishment operations. The plans also show a 1,545foot long jetty to be placed parallel with the channel an the east side. This will reduce thefrequency of required maintenance dredging. A similar channel constructed perpendicular to theshoreline at the Broadwater Marina requires maintenance dredging every three years at an averagecost of $100,000. During this time, the channel fills in reducing the desired maintenance depth byabout four feet. However, it should be noted that the Broadwater channel is not protected by ajetty.

Jetties and Breakwaters

As noted above, the plans call for a jetty to protect the channel from the predominant direction oflittoral sediment drift. However, other breakwaters will likely be required to reducesedimentation from other directions and more importantly, protect boats from waves and wakeswhile they are being launched and retrieved. Existing launch sites along the entire front beachfrom Biloxi Bay to Bay St. Louis protect boats by being located within harbor basins or takingadvantage of existing shelter (e.g. Deer Island). This aspect of development is critical to the useof any unprotected area of the front beach shoreline. The wave energy in these areas, particularlyduring the times of strong afternoon sea breezes, is strong enough to make launching andretrieving boats problematic at best and could cause boat, trailer and vehicle damage at worst. The site as now configured is susceptible to southerly and westerly winds. Developers shouldplan on approximately 1,500 additional feet of breakwater at this site configured in a fashion toprotect the site from wave energy while maintaining water exchange through the artificial basin. U. S. Coast Guard regulations stipulate that these structures will have to be marked withdaytime/nighttime navigational aids.

Sand Bypass

As noted earlier, the predominant direction of littoral sediment transport is from east to westalong the front beach. As a result, any solid object built out into the water perpendicular to thebeach will trap sediments on the east side and simultaneously cause erosion on the west or down-current side. This phenomenon is easily seen by examining storm drains or the east and west sidesof harbor seawalls along the beachfront. Over time, this process can become severe enough torequire sand bypass operations to protect the beach and businesses on the down-current side ofthe structure. Sand bypass is usually accomplished by means of hydraulic dredging. Therefore,site considerations must take into account what is located immediately adjacent to the proposeddevelopment. In this case, there is substantial commercial development along the beachfront to

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the west in the area of potential erosion and undeveloped beach to the east in the area ofaccumulation.

Vehicle Access and Parking

Ease of vehicle access and on-site parking for vehicles and vehicles with trailers are criticalcomponents of boat launch facility development. Indeed, lack of these components is whatcreates underutilization at the otherwise suitable sites at Oak Street and Kuhn Street. A site-specific plan for the Iberville Drive site was not available, so facilities based on the McDonnelAvenue plan are addressed on the assumption that the Iberville Drive site will require the sameamount and location of shoreside development associated with the boat ramp.

The McDonnel plan specifies 42 parking spaces for vehicles with trailers and an additional 15spaces for vehicles without trailers. Access to and from the site off of Highway 90 is provided byturning lanes and a southward extension of both Veterans Blvd. and McDonnel Avenue in amodified loop pattern. Vehicles entering or leaving the site have the option of using the existingtraffic light at the Highway 90 intersection with Veterans Blvd. Due to the amount of traffic onHighway 90 and the inherent difficulties of driving a vehicle/trailer combination, this signal isessential for vehicles desiring to leave the facility towards the north and west and enter from theeast or north.

In transferring this design to the Iberville Drive site, the most obvious need is to install a trafficlight at the intersection of the access road(s) and Highway 90. There would also need to be somemodification of the roadway to provide for turning lanes depending on where the access road(s) is located. There appears to be sufficient room at the site to locate the proposed parkingfacilities.

Water Quality

There is a potential for nonpoint source pollution to the waters at the site caused by vehiclecrankcase drippings and bilge water discharge from boats. Adverse water quality impacts of thisnature can be minimized by using permeable or semi-permeable material in parking areas andconfiguring jetties and breakwaters in a manner that facilitates water exchange through the basin. The closest oyster reef to the site is White House Reef which is located far enough away not to beimpacted by boating activities but may be of some concern during dredging operations during thedevelopment phase of the facility.

User Conflicts

The proposed Iberville Drive site is currently served by a parking bay designed to facilitate accessto the public beach for swimming, fishing, floundering, picnics and other forms of beach-relatedactivity. The public beach users will be displaced by the transformation of this area into a boatingaccess facility. However, there are more alternative beach sites than launch ramps available. Thebusinesses and residences located on the north side of Highway 90 will experience impacts relatedto increased traffic congestion and alterations of the viewshed currently provided by theundeveloped beachfront at this location. The littoral rights of these property owners also mayhave to be considered depending on the specific location of the facility. Positive benefits will

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accrue to fishermen because the rock jetty and breakwaters will serve as an artificial reef whichattracts and holds marine life. It may be possible to incorporate a mechanism for accommodatingshore-based fishermen into the design of the facility.

Cost Considerations

Any boating access facility located along the unprotected front beach away from existingnavigational channels is inherently going to be expensive due mainly to increased dredging andjetty/breakwater construction requirements. The largest expense is jetty and breakwaterconstruction. For example, the current cost of a concrete rubble or rock jetty built by acommercial marine contractor ranges from $500 to $1,000 per linear foot ($100 per ton ofmaterial). Because this site will have to be developed to withstand high energy storm events, thecost will most likely tend toward the higher end of this range. At a cost of $800 per linear footand the suggested requirement for 3,000 linear feet of jetties and breakwaters, this element of sitedevelopment alone will cost $2.4 million. Dredging will add approximately $115,000 to theproject costs. Other major costs will be parking lot and ramp construction and highway accessmodifications to provide turning lanes, access road(s) and a traffic light. These latter costs are particularly applicable to the Iberville Drive site and could be ameliorated by considering alternatelocations near or at major north/south corridors with existing traffic controls.

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0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100

Per

cent

Wei

ght

-1 -0.25 0.75 1.75 2.75 3.75 >3.75Grain Size - Phi

Sample - 1300 ft

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100

Per

cent

Wei

ght

-1 -0.25 0.75 1.75 2.75 3.75 >3.75Grain Size - Phi

Sample - 1100 ft

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100

Per

cent

Wei

ght

-1 -0.25 0.75 1.75 2.75 3.75 >3.75Grain Size - Phi

Sample - 900 ft

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100 P

erce

nt W

eigh

t

-1 -0.25 0.75 1.75 2.75 3.75 >3.75Grain Size - Phi

Sample - 700 ft

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100

Per

cent

Wei

ght

-1 -0.25 0.75 1.75 2.75 3.75 >3.75Grain Size - Phi

Sample - 600 ft

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100

Per

cent

Wei

ght

-1 -0.25 0.75 1.75 2.75 3.75 >3.75Grain Size - Phi

Sample - 500 ft

Figure 1. Grain Size Analysis - Iberville Beach

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0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100

Per

cent

Wei

ght

-1 -0.25 0.75 1.75 2.75 3.75 >3.75Grain Size - Phi

Sample - 300 ft

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100

Per

cent

Wei

ght

-1 -0.25 0.75 1.75 2.75 3.75 >3.75Grain Size - Phi

Sample - 100 ft

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100

Per

cent

Wei

ght

-1 -0.25 0.75 1.75 2.75 3.75 >3.75Grain Size - Phi

Sample - Swash Line

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100

Per

cent

Wei

ght

-1 -0.25 0.75 1.75 2.75 3.75 >3.75Grain Size - Phi

Sample - Beach #1

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100

Per

cent

Wei

ght

-1 -0.25 0.75 1.75 2.75 3.75 >3.75Grain Size - Phi

Sample - Beach #2

Grain Size Analysis - Iberville Beach

Appendix IV.

Courthouse Road/Ken Combs PierBoat Launch Renovation

Prepared by:

Mississippi State UniversityCoastal Research and Extension Center

2710 Beach Blvd. Suite 1EBiloxi, Mississippi 39531

June 29, 1999

Courthouse Road/Ken Combs Pier Boat Launch RenovationGulfport, Mississippi

Executive Summary

The economic boom currently being experienced in coastal Mississippi has increased the usageand placed unprecedented demands on existing public access facilities along the front beach inHarrison County. Population growth and increased visitation rates from outside the coastal areahave caused the existing facilities to be overtaxed and are currently insufficient to meet thisdemand. In one effort to reconcile this problem, a public boat launch facility has been proposedfor renovation on the front beach at Courthouse Road in Gulfport. The following summarizessite development considerations that are more fully described in the assessment report.

A 1,150-foot long pier and jetty is located on the east side of the proposed facility whichwill help prevent filling of the proposed channel from the predominant east to west littoraltransport of sediment. However, as proposed, the site is susceptible to southerly andwesterly winds. As much as 560 additional feet of jetty may be required to reducesedimentation from other directions but more importantly, to protect boats from wavesand wakes while being launched and retrieved. Consideration should be given to placingother jetties along the south and west sides of the access channel to protect the site fromwave energy while maintaining water exchange through the channel.

Approximately 6,500 cubic yards of material will have to be dredged to develop the launchbasin and access channel. Preliminary sediment sampling and analysis suggest that thedredged sediments may be suitable for use as renourishment sands on the existing beach;however, vertical cores should be collected to verify that sediment grain size at depth issuitable for beach sands. The suitability of dredged sediments for renourishment to thebeach can have a dramatic effect on dredging costs which might range from $5 to $15 percubic yard.

Ease of vehicle access and on-site parking for vehicles and vehicles with trailers are criticalcomponents of boat launch facility development. Due to the amount of traffic on Highway90 and the inherent difficulties of driving a vehicle/trailer combination, traffic signals andturn lanes are essential for vehicles desiring to leave the facility towards the north andwest or to enter from the east or north. The existing facility has adequate traffic controlsand room to develop designated boat trailer parking.

There is a potential for adverse water quality impacts at the site caused by vehiclecrankcase drippings and bilge water discharge from boats. These types of impacts can beminimized by using permeable or semi-permeable materials in parking areas andconfiguring jetties and breakwaters in a manner that facilitates water exchange through thebasin.

Public beach users will not be displaced by the development of this area into a boatingaccess facility. Small boat and shore-based fisherman will benefit because the rock jettyand breakwaters will serve as an artificial reef which attracts and holds marine life.

Any boat access facility located in an unprotected area of front beach away from existingnavigational channels is inherently going to be expensive due mainly to dredgingrequirements and jetty construction. Costs to construct the jetty can range between $500and $1,000 per linear foot. Because this site will have to be developed to withstand highenergy storm events, the cost will most likely tend toward the higher end of this range. Ata cost of $800 per linear foot, the jetty, as proposed, could cost approximately $448,000. Dredging will add approximately $65,000 to the project costs.

Courthouse Road Boat Launch - Page 1 of 10

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Coast Boat Registrations

Courthouse Road/Ken Combs Pier Boat Launch RenovationGulfport, Mississippi

Background and Project Description

The economic boom currently being experienced in coastal Mississippi has increased the usageand placed unprecedented demands on existing public recreational facilities, especially along thefront beach in Harrison County. Population growth and increased visitation rates from outsidethe coastal area have caused existing access facilities to be overtaxed and are currently insufficientto meet this demand. One of the most pressing needs is additional recreational boating accessfacilities. Figure 1. shows the number of registered boats in seven coastal Mississippi counties.Figure 2. shows the relative demand on salt-water boating access in relation to total boatownership. Particular attention should be given to the number of registered boats under 25 feet inlength. These boats are typically stored and transported on trailers and require the use of a boatlaunching facility. There is an acute shortage of boat launching facilities in coastal Mississippi withdirect access to the Mississippi Sound, the offshore barrier islands and the Gulf of Mexico.

Figure 1.


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Coastal Boat UseFigure 2.

As can be seen, the two counties with the highest rate of boat ownership and salt water use areJackson and Harrison. Harrison County has had more of a problem in providing waterfrontrecreational access due to the tremendous amount of shoreside development associated withdockside gaming. The only boat launch facility with access to the Mississippi Sound in Gulfportis located within the Gulfport small craft harbor. The Gulfport small craft harbor facility haslimited, unimproved car and trailer parking. It does have easy highway access and is protectedwithin the enclosed harbor basin with close proximity to the Gulfport channel. Because it is theonly launching facility in Gulfport with direct access to the Mississippi Sound, it frequently cannotaccommodate the demand from recreational boaters, particularly on weekends and holidayperiods.

The lack of recreational boat launch facilities in Gulfport restricts the ability of small boat ownersto utilize many fishing and recreational locations within the Sound. In an effort to reconcile thisproblem, the renovation of the existing but unuseable public boat launch facility at CourthouseRoad in Gulfport has been proposed. It is anticipated that the proposed facility will consist of arecreational boat launch ramp capable of launching/retrieving four boats at a time and car andboat trailer parking. Access to this facility is from Hwy. 90 or Courthouse Road.


The Mississippi State University/Coastal Research and Extension Center (CREC) was asked toprovide an assessment of the feasibility of renovating the old launch facility at Courthouse Road. Specific site plans for this renovation were not available. Consequently, the comments andrecommendations in this assessment are based on the assumption that the renovated project willclosely mimic the original facility.

Description of Study Area

The project area is located on the artificial beach at Courthouse Road. Harrison County’s 26-mileartificial beach was originally constructed in 1951-1952 to provide protection and anchorage forthe existing seawall. Sand used to create the beach was dredged from plentiful deposits locatedimmediately offshore from the seawall. Constant erosion and the devastating effects of hurricanesrequired the beaches to be renourished in 1972-1973 and again in 1987-1988.

The project site consists of an existing but unuseable, three-slot, boat ramp with remnant pilingsthat once supported finger piers protruding from the concrete. This ramp is oriented in anortheast-southwest direction. A concrete rubble jetty, approximately 300 feet long exists on theeast side of the boat ramps and a wooden pier extends from the jetty about 850 additional feetinto the Sound. This is referred to as the Ken Combs Pier. There is existing parking for cars only,a compact grassed area to the north of the boat ramps, a narrow fringe of marsh grasses adjacentto the ramps on the west side and a comfort station with beach showers and restroom facilities.

The nearshore slope extending from the boat ramps is very gentle, with less than a three footvertical drop over a horizontal distance of 1,300 feet. The length of the beach to the east andwest of the existing facility is interrupted with a series of shore-perpendicular storm drains thatextend approximately 360 feet from Highway 90 into the Sound. These storm drains act as groinstrapping sands from westward littoral drift resulting in a scallop-shaped shoreline. To the west ofthe project site is sand beach extending approximately 2.5 miles to the Gulfport Harbor. To theeast of the proposed project area is sand beach for approximately 5 miles to the PresidentCasino/Broadwater Marina complex.

Physical Characteristics

Wind and Waves

The annual dominant wind direction is from the easterly directions while winds from the north andsouth are frequent. In the spring, prevailing winds are southeast having a strong easterncomponent. The summer months show equal frequencies of east, southeast and southerly winddirections. The dominant spring and summer wind patterns result from the expansion of theBermuda High causing prevalent southeast and easterly winds. The passage of continental coldfronts in the fall and winter follows the decline of the Bermuda High. At this time, the


predominant winds come from the northern quadrants. East and northeast winds prevail in the fallwhile in the winter months winds from the north, northeast, east and southeast occur equally. Theannual resultant wind direction is from the east. In both the fall and winter seasons the resultantwind direction is east-northeasterly while in the spring, east-southeasterly winds result and in thesummer, southeast. Weather station data indicate mean monthly surface winds are less than tenknots eighty percent of the time throughout the year. In addition to these macro climaticconditions, the sand beach/shore interface creates a diurnal land and sea breeze phenomenon. Differences in land and water temperatures create a landward breeze during daytime hours and aseaward flow during nighttime hours. The resultant winds along the immediate coast are oftenmuch stronger than those recorded at weather monitoring stations. This effect is most prevalentduring the summer months corresponding with the peak of boating season and can createafternoon breezes in excess of 15-20 knots at the shoreline.

There are no known, comprehensive wave studies or wave data bases available for the projectarea. Because the barrier islands provide protection to the mainland from storm generated wavesin the Gulf of Mexico, wave height and direction along the front beach of Harrison County resultfrom the prevailing wind direction and intensity. Limited fetch across the Mississippi Sound andthe overall shallow water depths limit wave height. Waves breaking on the beach are commonlyless than one foot, although, higher wave heights can occur. Waves can physically approach thefront beach from the eastern, southern and western directions, however, the predominant waveapproach is from the east and southeast. Waves approaching the beach from these directions setup westward flowing currents and result in westward drift of sediments.

The project area is fairly well protected by the existing jetty from wind generated wavesapproaching from the east, southeast and southern directions. However, the jetty offers noprotection from waves traveling from the southwesterly directions. These conditions are commonduring summer afternoons when the majority of boaters are returning from a day out on thewater.

Tides

Tides in the proposed project area are microtidal i.e., the tidal range is less than 6 ft. (2 m). However, both astronomical and meteorological tides influence the area. Astronomical tides arediurnal, i.e. usually one high and one low water per day with an average tidal range ofapproximately 2 ft. (0.6 m). Tidal range fluctuates seasonally with a minimal range of 0 to 1.5 ft(0.5 m) during the winter months and a maximum range of 2 to 3 ft (0.6 to 0.9 m) during thesummer months. Because of the minimal tide range of the area, meteorological conditions oftenexert a strong influence on local tide elevations. Strong southerly winds push water into the areaexaggerating and often maintaining high water conditions. Strong northerly winds push water outof the area exaggerating and maintaining low water conditions often resulting in the exposure oflarge sandy shoal areas in the nearshore.


Sediments

Sediment all along the front beach was dredged from offshore borrow pits and deposited as partof an effort to protect the seawall and Highway 90. The sediment consists mostly of quartz sandand silt with little organic matter. Because the front beach renourishment project was completedin one effort with sediment dredged from the same sand deposit, it is assumed for purposes of thisproject that sediment samples taken along transects anywhere along the front beach would becomparable. Therefore, to help assess if the sediments that may be dredged for construction ofthe boat launch renovation can be used as potential renourishment sands on the downdriftbeaches, grain size data from eleven sediment samples previously collected along a transect 6miles to the east of the project site were used. The transect trended perpendicular to theshoreline, starting on the beach and continuing into the nearshore for 1,300 feet. Samples weretaken every 200 feet or closer if deemed necessary. Standard sieve analysis was completed byMicro Methods, Inc. using one-phi mesh diameter intervals.

Grain Size Analysis

There is little variation in the size distribution of sediments collected from within the nearshore(samples 1300, 1100, 900, 700, 600, 500, 300 and 100 feet). In these samples, the modal grainsize (the most frequently occurring grain diameter) is 2.75 phi (0.15 mm). This grain sizecomprises over 60 percent of each sample. Grain sizes of 1.75 phi (0.3 mm) and 3.75 phi (0.08mm) comprise between 10 and 30 percent and 5 and 9 percent respectively. Each of the othergrain sizes comprised less than 3 percent of the sample. The distribution of grain sizes in theswash line (foreshore) and two beach (berm) samples differed slightly from the samples collectedin the nearshore. There were two modal grain sizes in the swash line sample, 0.75 and 1.75 phi(0.6 and 0.3 mm) with smaller percentages measured for the other grain sizes. This sediment isdescribed more as medium and coarse sand. This is not surprising because higher energy levelsexist in the foreshore and result in more efficient winnowing of fines from the sediment leaving thecoarser sediment behind. Based on these data, these sediments are classified as fine and mediumsands. In general, the grain size distribution of the sediments collected along the transect aresimilar. As expected, the sediments in the nearshore are slightly finer than those on the beach. The fines of the beach sediment are winnowed out by wave action and transported aerially bywinds leaving higher percentages of coarser sediment.

Sediment Transport

In general, there are three forces that affect the transport of sediment on beaches: waves, windand currents. The dominant forces along the Harrison County beaches include waves and winds. While nearshore currents also contribute to sand transport within the beach system, currentswithin the project site are interrupted by the jetty and are considered minimal or null.

Because the dominant wave direction is from the southeast (resulting from the prevailing winds)littoral drift processes cause alongshore sediment transport to be toward the west along the front


beaches. Westward moving sediment is trapped on the east side of shore perpendicular structurese.g. the existing jetty. Consequently, sediment accretes on the east side of structures, can nolonger move toward the west and is, therefore, no longer available to replenish beaches on thedowndrift side of structures. This results in erosion on the downdrift beaches of shoreperpendicular structures.

Wind also results in loss of sediment from the beach system. Winds carry sediment from thebeaches where they become trapped by the stepped seawall. As the steps of the seawall becomeprogressively filled, the seawall resembles more of a ramp which then facilitates the movement ofsediment off the beach. The wind blown sediment accumulates on the parking bays, medians androadway of Highway 90. This can represent a substantial amount of sediment lost from thesystem if during highway sediment removal work, the sediment is not returned to the beach. While there is no sand beach directly shoreward of the existing facilities, there is sand beach onboth the east and west sides.

Sediment Budget

Sediment losses from the Harrison County beaches result from longshore, offshore and airborneprocesses. The following estimates are from information obtained from the Harrison CountySand Beach Master Plan.

Offshore Sediment Transport. The majority of offshore sediment transport occurs during highenergy events where wave energy tends to remove sediments from the berm and deposit themonto offshore bars or beyond. Offshore sediment transport resulting from this type of wave actionis the most difficult to quantify. It is estimated that annual offshore losses resulting from this typeof transport amount to less than 0.25 cubic yards per front foot of beach or approximately 27,000cubic yards per year.

Airborne Sediment Transport. Airborne sediment transport results when winds are strong enoughto carry sediment across the beach and ultimately over the seawall and out of the system. It isestimated that sediment losses resulting from this type of transport are on the order of 0.50 cubicyards per front foot of beach per year. This type of sediment transport is considered a loss to thesystem because sand removed from the parking bays and roadway is trucked to upland disposalsites and not returned to the beach. It is estimated that the airborne component of sedimenttransport is responsible for approximately one-half of the total sediment loss from the beachsystem.

Longshore Sediment Transport. Longshore sediment transport within the proposed project areais from east to west. Sediment transport rates are dependent on wave height and wave approachangle. It has been shown that for an uninterrupted beach, (i.e. a beach with no perturbations suchas storm drains or harbor extensions), with waves approaching at a 15 degree angle, the sedimenttransport rate increases rapidly with breaking wave height. Table 1. shows this relationship. Estimates of the effective wave height is on the order of one-half to one foot and therefore, thenet annual longshore sediment transport without the effects of shore perpendicular structureswould range between 38,000 and 216,000 cubic yards. However, the existence of shore


Figure 3.

perpendicular structures greatly reduces these estimates. With the existence of perpendicularinterruptions along the Harrison County beaches, it is estimated that annual losses due tolongshore sediment transport, primarily around the groin at Henderson Point, amount toapproximately 20,000 cubic yards. The effects of this type of sediment transport near theproposed project site can be seen at each storm drain. Sediment is accumulating on the easternside of the drains and erosion is occurring on the western (downdrift) side resulting in thescalloped shape of the shoreline.

Table 1. Computations of Net Annual Longshore Sediment Transport, Q. *

Wave HeightH (ft)

Annual Rate of Net Longshore SedimentTransport, Q, (yd3/yr)

0.51.01.5

38,000216,000596,000

* Computations are based on Q = KH5/2 sin 2á and a wave angle of 15degrees where K is a constant, H =breaking wave height and á = angleof breaking wave (from HarrisonCounty Sand Beach Master Plan1986).

Site DevelopmentRecommendations

No site design plans were availablefor review during this assessment. The site development considerationsdiscussed in the next section arebased on the existing siteconfiguration shown in Figures 3through 5. Incorporating theexisting facilities and utilizing spacepreviously developed minimizesconstruction and material costs,impacts to the environment andexisting use of the facility. All


Figure 4.

Figure 5.

elements of this design are schematic;all measurements and quantities areapproximate. Final determinations canbe made when engineered plans areavailable.

The degraded boat launch ramp is ofsufficient size to accommodate theanticipated demand without expansioninto the adjacent marsh area. Upgrading this ramp would includeplacing a new concrete launch rampcapable oflaunching/retrieving three or four boatsat a time and constructing finger piers appropriately to assist boaters while launching andretrieving their boats. An access channel from the open Sound to the boat launch area wouldhave to be dredged. Based on access channel dimensions from a boat launch facility proposedalong the front beach in Biloxi, it is suggested that the channel be dredged 40 feet wide and to adepth of 5 feet. Estimates indicate that the length of the channel would be approximately 1,200feet.

The existing jetty providessufficient protection to the boatersfrom waves approaching from theeast and southeasterly directions. Extending the jetty toward thesouthwest with a detachedbreakwater will add protection fromthe southerly wave approaches andhelp maintain water quality byallowing flow between the end ofthe existing jetty and the newbreakwater. Estimates from aerialphotography indicate that thedetached breakwater would beapproximately 260 feet long. It isalso suggested that an additionaldetached breakwater (approximately 300 feet) be constructed on the other side of the dredgedaccess channel with an approximate northwest-southeast orientation. This breakwater wouldprevent wave approach from the southwesterly directions common in the afternoons during theheight of boating season.

Existing parking is designed for cars only and is adequate to provide access for the public to enjoyswimming, fishing, picnicking and other beach-related activities. There is currently no area


designed for car and trailer parking. A small grassed area with compacted substrate existsadjacent to the boat launch area. This location can be developed to provide car and trailerparking for users of the renovated boat launch. The area is approximately 17,000 square feet insize and would support the installation of about 25 vehicle/trailer combination parking spaces. Inaddition, it appears that the existing paved parking lot is not being fully utilized so that a portionof what is currently designated as car parking might be converted to car/trailer parking.

Site Development Considerations

Dredging/Maintenance Dredging

Surface sediment samples obtained by CREC and analyzed by Micro Methods, Inc. show thepredominance of fine to medium sands which are subject to littoral transport. Core samplesshould be obtained in order to determine if the dredged material at the designed depth (5'minimum) is suitable for deposition on the existing sand beach at the site. This could have adramatic effect on dredging costs which might range from $5 to $15 per cubic yard. It isestimated that approximately 6,500 cubic yards of materials will have to be dredged from theaccess channel and launch basin. Consideration should also be given to timing the development tocoincide with sand beach replenishment operations. A similar channel constructed perpendicularto the shoreline at the Broadwater Marina requires maintenance dredging every three years at anaverage cost of $100,000. During this time, the channel fills in reducing the desired maintenancedepth by about four feet. However, it should be noted that the Broadwater channel is notprotected by a jetty.

Jetties and Breakwaters

As noted above, the recommendations call for jetties to protect the channel from the predominantdirection of littoral sediment drift, reduce sedimentation from other directions and moreimportantly, protect boats from waves and wakes while they are being launched and retrieved. Existing launch sites along the entire front beach from Biloxi Bay to Bay St. Louis protect boatsby being located within harbor basins or taking advantage of existing shelter (e.g. Deer Island). This aspect of development is critical to the use of any unprotected area of the front beachshoreline. The wave energy in these areas, particularly during the times of strong afternoon seabreezes, is strong enough to make launching and retrieving boats problematic at best and couldcause boat, trailer and vehicle damage at worst. The site as now configured is susceptible tosoutherly and westerly winds. Developers should plan on approximately 560 additional feet ofbreakwater at this site configured in a fashion to protect the site from wave energy whilemaintaining water exchange through the artificial basin. U. S. Coast Guard regulations stipulatethat these structures will have to be marked with daytime/nighttime navigational aids.

Vehicle Access and Parking

Ease of vehicle access and on-site parking for vehicles and vehicles with trailers are criticalcomponents of boat launch facility development. Indeed, lack of these components is what


creates underutilization at the otherwise suitable sites at Oak Street and Kuhn Street in Biloxi. The existing traffic controls and parking lot at the Courthouse Road site are positive factorswhich should facilitate further development and expanded use of the facility, as well as reduceconstruction costs.

Water Quality

There is a potential for nonpoint source pollution to the waters at the site caused by vehiclecrankcase drippings and bilge water discharge from boats. Adverse water quality impacts of thisnature can be minimized by using permeable or semi-permeable material in parking areas andconfiguring jetties and breakwaters in a manner that facilitates water exchange through the basin.It is recommended that consideration be given to the use of permeable material such as gravel, fly-ash or shell as a paving material for the boat trailer parking area, and that the existing vegetativebuffer along the adjacent shoreline be maintained.

User Conflicts

Positive benefits will accrue to fishermen because the rock jetty and breakwaters will serve as anartificial reef which attracts and holds marine life. It may be possible to incorporate a mechanismfor accommodating shore-based fishermen into the design of the facility. It is suggested thatsome means of separating boaters from beach users on the west side of the facility be included inthe development plans. This could possibly include a series of pilings with signs directing boatersto avoid the swimming area.

Cost Considerations

Any boating access facility located along the unprotected front beach away from existingnavigational channels is inherently going to be expensive due mainly to increased dredging andjetty/breakwater construction requirements. For example, the current cost of a concrete rubble orrock jetty built by a commercial marine contractor ranges from $500 to $1,000 per linear foot($100 per ton of material). Because this site will have to be developed to withstand high energystorm events, the cost will most likely tend toward the higher end of this range. At a cost of $800per linear foot and the suggested requirement for 560 linear feet of jetties and breakwaters, thiselement of site development alone will cost $448,000. Dredging will add approximately $65,000to the project costs. Other costs will include ramp renovation and parking lot expansion.

Renovating the Courthouse Road boat launch makes wise use of existing facilities and utilizesspace previously developed. These actions substantially reduce construction and material costsand impacts to the environment.

Documents

Gulfport Marina and Info