THE PORT OF NORWALK, CONN.

PORT AND HARBOR CONDITIONS

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The city of Norwalk is situated on the Norwalk River, which empties into Long Island Sound through two broad expanses of sheltered water known as Sheffield Island Harbor and Cockenoe Island Harbor. Norwalk Harbor is about 44 miles east of New York City and about 27 miles west of New Haven. The river is approached from the east by a broad channel with a limiting depth of 7 feet passing through Cockenoe Island Harbor and from the west through the broad and sheltered reaches of Sheffield Island Harbor, where the depths vary from 12 to 20 feet. This passage leads to a broad entrance channel dredged through the broken ground that lies just outside of the mouth of the river. The approaches are well marked by lighthouses and other aids to navigation.

Main harbor.-The main harbor comprises the lower 2 miles of the Norwalk River below the highway bridge at South Norwalk. Between the marshes at the mouth the harbor is about 1 mile wide, with a natural channel from 400 to 600 feet wide and from 12 to 20 feet deep, extending northerly along the eastern side between broad flats to Gregory Point, whence a dredged channel 150 to 250 feet wide and 12 feet deep at mean low water extends through the flats and along the South Norwalk side to the Washington Street Bridge, An anchorage basin with a depth of 10 feet and an area of 17 acres has been provided just north of Gregory Point. From the upper corner of the anchorage a narrow channel 6 feet deep leads to the wharves at East Norwalk.

Inner harbor. The inner harbor, or that portion of the river above the highway bridge, consists of a narrow dredged channel 100 to 125 feet wide and 8 feet deep, flowing between marshes and separated from them by narrow mud banks bare at low water except where the upper 1,000 feet of the navigable portion is dredged out as a sort of basin between the wharves at Norwalk.

HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS BY THE UNITED STATES

In its original condition the river had a minimum usable low-water depth of about 5 feet to South Norwalk; and thence to Norwalk it

was practically bare at low tide. The river and harbor act of June 10, 1872, provided for a channel 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep a mean low water to Norwalk. This was changed in 1880 to provide a channel 8 feet deep and 100 feet wide up to South Norwalk, and thence to Norwalk 6 feet deep and 60 to 100 feet wide. The river and harbor act of March 2, 1919, provided for a channel 12 feet deep, 200 feet wide, up to Gregory Point, and thence 150 to 250 feet wide to the highway bridge, with an anchorage area of about 17 acres, 10 feet deep, opposite Fitchs Point, and a channel generally 100 feet wide and 10 feet deep from South Norwalk to the head of navigation at Norwalk. The anchorage basin and the channel up to the highway bridge have been completed.

The controlling depths in present channels and anchorage at mean low water as of June 30, 1926, are as follows: To Washington Street Bridge at South Norwalk, 12 feet; thence to the railroad bridge, 9 feet; thence to Norwalk, 7 feet; in the anchorage basin, 10 feet; and in the East Norwalk channel, 6 feet.

HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS BY LOCAL INTERESTS

Under the act of 1919 local interests were to construct such waterfront facilities as were deemed necessary by the Secretary of War before the appropriation under that act could be expended. The city of Norwalk, in compliance with this provision, has completed a suitable wharf adjacent to the Washington Street highway bridge.

TIDES

The mean range of tide is 6.8 feet. Extreme tides due to wind and other causes have been recorded 4 feet below the mean low water plane and 10 feet above the same datum.

TIDAL CURRENTS

The tidal currents in Long Island Sound off Norwalk have an average velocity of about 1 knot. The currents through the entrance "harbors" have the same, if not greater, strength than in the sound. The currents in the harbor follow the direction of the channel. The ebb current is somewhat stronger than the flood but has, on the average, less velocity than the corresponding tides in the sound.

ANCHORAGES

Sheffield Island and Cockenoe Island Harbors are largely used for anchorage. Small craft frequently anchor on the east side of the channel south of Gregory Point and in the anchorage basin previously