Functional design of a swim basin in the Detroit River

Many urban beaches on fresh water lakes and rivers face closure during peak summer periods due to dangerous concentrations of fecal coliforms and other waterborne contaminants. One such example is the Lake Erie Metro Park which is located approximately 22 km (14 miles) downriver of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, at the mouth of the Detroit River.N.K. Becker & Associates Ltd. was retained in 1985 to research and develop a functional design for a swim basin that will be formed by cordoning off an area of the Detroit River with a breakwater. A unique feature of this breakwater is that it is being designed to filter water from the Detroit River to the extent required for safe swimming. When it is constructed in 1988, it will be capable of accommodating approximately 1500 swimmers.Extensive hydraulic model studies were carried out at the universities of Windsor and Michigan to research and develop a functional design for this facility. The methodology used to develop the design concepts for this swim...