Coastal Solutions

Dear Readers:

Regional, International and News correspondents wanted! To keep the blog active, we’re looking for individuals who would like to write a short blog articles every 4-6 weeks, on a coastal issue being discussed in their area of the world.

COPRI members who want to submit a one time article on a current event are also welcome.

Please Comment if you would like to contribute to this Blog!

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Sand changing the waves…

Sand and waves are common site parameters to coastal projects, but how well do we understand their interaction?  Maybe more importantly, as it relates to practical coastal projects, how well do we need to understand their interactions?  Both questions are debatable. 

I recently stumbled across an image of a breaking wave filled with sand that was captured by Clark Little (click for more amazing breaking wave pictures).  I could not help but stare at this image not just because of the bueaty of the image but because of the science that the image encapsulates. 

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 On January 16, 2009,  Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region -Atlantic coast of the United States  was published.  This report is one of 21 products to be developed for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) to assist policy makers in the United States to attempting to formulate effective strategies for preventing, mitigating, and adapting to the effects of global change.

Figure ES.1 Potential Mid-Atlantic coastal landform response to three sea level rise scenarios

Most coastal areas are currently experiencing erosion, which is expected to increase with future sea-level rise. In addition to undergoing erosion, coastal segments denoted with a “T” may also cross a threshold where rapid barrier island migration or segmentation will occur.  (page 24, Coastal Sensitivity to Sea Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States)

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by Adam Hosking

Ed. Note: 

Background

Over the last 20 years the UK government has been evolving its approach towards coastal erosion and flood risk management away from the historically ad hoc approach towards the integrated, sustainable model followed today. This model offers a number of potential lessons for the management of these risks here in the US.

The UK has a highly varied coastline, ranging from high cliffs through to areas below sea level protected by beach-dune systems. This diversity gives rise to a broad coastal flooding and erosion risk profile. Recent studies have determined that, under a no action scenario, property loss due to coastal erosion in England and Wales over the next 100 years would amount to around £21 billion at 2005 values. Assets located in coastal flood risk area, have been estimated to be worth about £130 billion, with potential annual average flood damages of around £1.6 billion at 2001 values.

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by John Ramsey

The North Atlantic Division “Denial with Prejudice” (April, 2008) of the individual permit application for the Winthrop Shores Reservation Restoration , a much needed beach nourishment project at Winthrop Beach, MA is a precedent setting decision that will likely impact the future of beach nourishment throughout the United States. The denial has been appealed by the project proponent (the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation). After nearly a decade of borrow site assessment, scientific research, meetings, and negotiations with various regulatory agencies and interested parties, the project applicant had received all of its state and local approvals for the project. (See: http://www.mass.gov/czm/chc/meetings/present/orfant_winthrop_4-10-06.pdf ) During this process, the applicant had assessed numerous upland borrow site options, as well as 14 offshore borrow sites. The sole remaining road block to the project was the Army Corps 404 individual permit. On October 1, 2008, the Chief of Engineers determined that the appeal had partial merit and the denial decision has been remanded to the North Atlantic Division for “further review of the reasons for appeal where merit was found.”

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