Hydraulic and earth engineering – Fluid control – treatment – or containment – Floatable matter containment
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-23
2004-12-07
Shackelford, Heather (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Fluid control, treatment, or containment
Floatable matter containment
C405S070000, C405S074000, C405S210000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06827525
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, TABLE, OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISK
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of building up land in water-covered or water-surrounded areas and more specifically to the field of restoring land in coastal wetlands where erosion has caused land loss.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Coastal wetlands historically have been rich in plant and animal life. This abundance of plant and animal life has made coastal wetlands productive areas for fishing (for fish and shellfish), trapping, and hunting.
Coastal wetlands require a constant supply of sediment so that the process of sedimentation keeps pace with erosion. In a coastal wetland, the land is built up by sedimentation and broken down by erosion. In a stable coastal wetland, these processes are in balance when considered over the long term: land loss through erosion and land gain from sedimentation remain essentially equal. Seasonal or unusual events such as floods or storms may cause erosion and sedimentation to become unbalanced for a time. But in a stable wetland, erosion and sedimentation remain in balance over the long term.
Over at least the last 100 years, human activities have affected the natural balance between erosion and sedimentation in many coastal wetlands. Levees and other developments have reduced the flow of fresh water into many coastal wetlands. These developments have reduced the amount of sedimentation in the affected coastal wetlands by eliminating the sediment flows that were carried by the fresh water flow.
In addition to reducing sedimentation, the reduction of fresh water flow has also promoted erosion. The reduction of fresh water flow has changed the chemical composition—especially the salinity—of water in some coastal wetlands. Plants adapted to the previous (lower) salinity levels often die when salinity increases. Killing the plants increases erosion because many plants hold the land together and help to absorb impacts of waves and other water flows. When the plants die, erosion increases.
With erosion increasing and sedimentation decreasing, land area in coastal wetlands has shrunk. Facing the loss of a valuable resource, public officials and citizens have sought ways to reduce erosion and increase sedimentation in coastal wetlands so that lost land may be restored. Fresh water diversion from rivers into coastal wetlands merely keeps salt water at bay and does little to promote land restoration, not only because of decreased sediment in leveed rivers but also because diversion of fresh water typically uses siphons or pipes that place sediment-containing water into a single location rather than over a broader plain. Rivers currently contain seventy percent less sediment than they did fifty years ago because of flood-prevention methods upstream.
Various devices for building up land in a water-covered area have been disclosed to aid in reducing and reversing land loss. U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,088 to Van Der Hidde et al. discloses a device for forming a sand body. The device comprises a substantially rectangular portion of water-permeable cloth. The cloth is held to the water bottom on three of its four sides by anchors and sediment pouches. The fourth side of the cloth is held above the water bottom by floating elements. The cloth thus forms a water-permeable pouch. Sediment-containing water flow enters the open end of the pouch and is trapped, eventually forming a sand body. Van Der Hidde's device appears to be intended to promote sedimentation by entrapping sediment that is being moved about by natural currents. The device does not appear to be suited for use in areas where no natural sediment-containing flow is available, such as a coastal wetland where former sediment-containing water flows have been reduced or eliminated by levees.
In contrast to Van Der Hidde's cloth pouch, other patents disclose rigid, non-floating barriers intended for use in building up land. U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,651 to Butterworth et al. discloses a rigid, piling-supported barrier for use in building up land. Butterworth's device comprises a system of rigid bulkheads that slow a sediment-charged flow, causing deposition of sediment and the eventual formation of land. Butterworth's device also includes additional bulkheads that prevent erosion by reducing the impact force of waves striking the shore. Butterworth's device appears to be specially adapted for use where wave action is present, such as the shores of lakes and oceans.
Another rigid, piling-supported device is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,179 to Trautman. Trautman discloses a device comprising a rigid, post-supported frame with screened louvers mounted thereon. The device allows waves, which carry sediment, to pass freely toward shore; but it slows flow away from shore, causing sediment to be deposited near the shore. Thus the device causes a sand body to be formed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,766 to Freed et al. discloses a sediment barrier for reducing erosion that occurs when water flows across land. The barrier comprises an array of fibers emanating upward from a foundation; the fibers reduce erosion by reducing the velocity of water that flows through the device.
Several patents disclose floating barriers, but these patents do not disclose the use of the barriers to control erosion or to build up land. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,987 to Light discloses an apparatus for preventing silt from entering a marine facility and for confining spills of pollutants within the facility. Light's device comprises a floating barrier secured across the opening of the facility and a flexible curtain having means for anchoring the curtain to the floor of the water body. Light discloses that the device may be used to avoid silt buildup in a facility, but Light does not disclose any use of the device to control erosion or to build up land.
Another floating barrier is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,381 to Kraus et al. Kraus discloses that the device may be used for collecting material floating upon the surface of a body of water. The device comprises a plurality of floating elements that are connected to a barrier. The barrier has an upper or freeboard position and a lower or skirt portion extending downward into a body of water. Attached to the barrier's skirt and extending downward therefrom is a lattice containing a plurality of strands made from an extensible material. The lower portion of the lattice is connected to a bottom tension line, which is shorter in length than the corresponding portion of the barrier. Kraus's device is adapted to confine a liquid spill that floats upon a body of water. The device is not adapted for building up land.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,024 to Gadde discloses a barrier comprising a floating lift hose, an anchoring body, and a net extending therebetween. Gadde discloses that the device is useful for blocking a water passage or channel against the admission of a foreign or unfamiliar object, such as an underwater vessel, frogman, or the like.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,899 to Claesson discloses an arrangement for a floating body comprising containers made from a flexible material positioned laterally in relation to one another and capable of being filled with air or other gas. The prior art does not disclose or suggest that the floating bodies described therein can be used to confine sediment to build up land in a water-covered or water-surrounded area.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a method and system for building up land in a water-covered area. It is another object of this invention to provide a floating structure capable of confining sediment. To achieve these and other advantages and objects, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, in one aspect the invent
Didriksen Law Firm
Saldano Lisa M.
Shackelford Heather
Ventola II Ronald J.
LandOfFree
Method and system for building up land in a water-covered or... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and system for building up land in a water-covered or..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and system for building up land in a water-covered or... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3315929