History of the reaction breakwater at Aransas pass, Texas

Patent Scenarios for the Mississippi River

“…The possibility of self-dredging channels has existed since 1889, when Lewis M. Haupt received the prestigious Magellanic Premium Award from the American Philosophical Society and his patent for the "reaction breakwater" from the USPTO-a system that was prototyped at the Aransas Pass, near Galveston, Texas ( Figure 6). 7 In 1901, Professor Haupt modified his innovative self-dredging "reaction breakwater" for use at the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi, adapting his prior invention to respond to conditions found in sediment-bearing rivers. 8 A doubly curved (curved in plan and section) structure directs the hydraulic force of flowing river water, excavating a navigable channel, and depositing the sediment (with the help of littoral currents) on the adjacent bank.…”

Prototyping the Mississippi Delta: Patents, alternative futures, and the design of complex environmental systems

“…unconfirmed by experience, and contain nothing not already well known, and which has a useful application in the improvement of our harbors'. 37 The War Department's attempt to discredit Haupt's innovation also inadvertently cast doubts on the Philosophical Society's Magellanic Premium Award, creating an interesting tension in Haupt's lectures to the society. Whether the intention of the statement was to stifle innovation, avoid paying patent royalties, or simply to award a contract to other parties may never be known.…”