Jetty an -the river Adour estuary

Abstract

The Bayonne harbour (France) has not been very important until recent years. The industries of this zone, as well as the exploitation of local natural resources, such as sulphur and gas, have been steadily increasing, and it is estimated that the total shipping activity in Bayonne during 1963 will amount to two million tons. The harbour is located along the mouth of the river Adour, which flows out into the Atlantic, along a section of the coastline which is sandy. Hence it is frequent, during winter time, for sand to heap up near the harbour. This noi only increases the wave formation, but becomes a hazard for the shipping traffic. To keep the harbour open it becomes necessary to dredge the entry to the harbour, which is affected by the heavy seas. This in turn also tends to make dredging operations difficult. These are some of the reasons why, after long and careful studies and work on models, a project has been developed for the improvement of the harbour entrance, to make it suitable for use by large ships during most times of the year. To carry out this project, credits have been approved, amounting to 30 million NF. Briefly, the project involves the construction of a stone jetty, 850 m long, along the northern part of the river mouth, forming a circular arch, of 1000 m radius. As the sea and river balance will be altered by the presence of this dyke, it is also planned to protect the nearby coast, to impede its erosion by the sea.