PERMEABLE SPUR JETTIES PROTECT PIPE RIVER CROSSINGS

The Henson permeable spur jetty, developed by K.W. Henson, is a patented structure installed vertically on the river bed at right angles to the stream flow line to resist water flow forces while permitting some water to flow through. To slowdown the flow of a very large volume of water and thus prevent the exposure and erosion of buried pipelines, a large number of structurally independent jetties are arranged throughout a control zone where water had previously been flowing too fast. Such systems have been installed by Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America for its three 36 in. dia lines crossing the Little Nemaha River, Nebr.; by Southern Natural Gas Co. for its 20 in. dia line crossing the Tangipahoa River in Louisiana; by El Paso Natural Gas Co. for its dual 26 in. and 30 in. dia crossing of the Toutle River in Washington; and by Laurel Pipe Line Co. for its 14 in. dia products line crossing the Cuyahoga River in Ohio. The four installations demonstrate that the Henson method is flexible enough to be adapted to a variety of conditions and is ecologically acceptable.