Preserving our coastal economy

asbpa and ecology since 1926

 Healthy beaches not only are important to our quality
of life but also protect people and property along the
coasts from hurricanes and coastal storms

A beach’s size, shape, and sand volume help determine

how well the beach can protect a developed area during
a storm. All the various elements of a beach, such as

Photo courtesy of Scott L. Douglass

bluffs, dunes, berms, and offshore sand bars – even
the width and slope of the beach itself – offer a level of
natural protection against hurricanes and coastal storms
by absorbing and dissipating the energy of breaking
waves, either seaward or on the beach itself.

DYNAMIC AND
Dunes like this provide protection to people, property, and
DIVERSE, COASTAL infrastructure, such as roads, along the coasts.

HEALTHY BEACHES ARE VITAL BEACHES FUNCTION

TO OUR WAY OF LIFE AS A SYSTEM
For thousands of years, the forces of wind, water,
People in the United States highly prize the Local, regional, and national economies thrive storms, sea level changes, and other natural processes
thousands of miles of sandy beaches along our on the prosperity of American beaches. Coastal have moved the sediments that shape and reshape our
nation’s coasts watersheds generated a remarkable $6 trillion in coastlines and beaches
2003 – more than half of the nation’s economy.1
Our beaches – a precious national resource – help The tourism industry is now the nation’s largest
define the physical, economic, environmental, and These sediments, which range from fine, white sand to
employer and fastest growing economic sector.
social fabric of our nation: coarse gravel and cobblestones, continuously build up,
Shipping and commercial fishing industries also
or accrete, only to drift away, or erode, again and again
contribute significantly to coastal regions and
Many of us choose to live near a beach. The over time in complex and sometimes unpredictable
the nation.
population in counties along U.S. coasts more than ways. Wind, tides, currents, and waves constantly keep
doubled from 1960 to 2000. By 2006, more than Clean oceans and wide beaches are crucial sediment on the move to build up and wear down
one half of all Americans lived in coastal counties, elements of our environment. Beaches sustain natural features such as bluffs, dunes, beaches, sand
which make up just 17 percent of land in the 48 animals, fish, sea turtles, birds, plants, and other bars, and inlets. Under normal conditions, wind shapes
contiguous states. People are still moving to the wildlife including many rare, threatened, and the dry beach and its dunes while tides, currents, and
coasts, which see 3,600 new residents daily.1 endangered species. waves shape the “wet” part of the beach. Wind, tides, currents, and waves move sediment continuously.

Development continues near our nation’s beaches.

Over the last three decades, Americans have built
19 million homes in coastal areas, and people
������������ ��������
are still building – at the rate of 1,500 homes
a day.1,2 New roads, bridges, and sewers are
being constructed to support these increasing ������ ��������������
populations.

Travelers from diverse economic, ethnic, and racial ����������������� ���������

populations choose the beach over any other
American tourist attraction.3 Each year, our coasts ����
are the preferred

���������
vacation destination
Photo courtesy of the City of Jacksonville, Fla.

for an estimated 180

million people, who
spend billions of
dollars and support ����������������
Photo courtesy of Scott L. Douglass

more than 2 million

jobs.2 As long as our
beaches are healthy,
���������������
they will continue
to lure national and
international travelers.
Florida’s 800 miles of sandy beaches, which contribute ������
more than $15 billion annually to the state’s economy,
are its greatest economic asset.4
Coastal beaches function as a system. The beach not only includes the dunes and berm, or
the dry part of the beach, but also the wet part of the beach that slopes underwater.
It is natural for hurricanes and coastal storms – which Human activities have increased the rate and severity
move huge volumes of sediment through the system – of beach erosion
to erode beaches
Decades of beachfront development have interrupted
Storms erode and transport sediment from the beach the natural and necessary movement of sediment and
into the active zone of storm waves. Once caught in interfered with coastal processes at our nation’s beaches.
the waves, this sediment is carried along the shore and Beginning in the early 1900s, construction along the
redeposited farther down the beach, or is carried offshore shoreline began to forever alter the natural setting and
and stored temporarily in submerged sand bars. topography to make way for resorts, hotels, boardwalks,
Periodic and unpredictable hurricanes and coastal roads, houses, marinas, and other recreational amenities.
storms, with their fierce breaking waves and elevated This development, which increased after World War II,
A storm with modest waves affecting the coast for several days – frequently eliminated protective sand dunes, weakened
water levels, can change the width and elevation of shown here in Scituate, Mass., during the Blizzard of 1978 – can
beaches and accelerate erosion: bluffs and banks, and reduced beach widths, making
cause more damage to structures and infrastructure than a much coastal communities more vulnerable to winds and high
larger storm moving quickly over the coast. waves. Development today continues to affect accretion
• Longer lasting storms, which give the waves more time
to attack the beach, cause more erosion and sediment and erosion processes upstream and downstream.
transport than fast-moving storms.
The dredging of inlets and harbors, which removes
• Very intense storms create higher winds and larger waves, sediment to improve navigation, has changed sediment
inducing more erosion than less intense storms. processes in coastal waters. The construction of dams
After storms pass, gentle waves usually return sediment and stormwater retention ponds for inland flood
Photo courtesy of the City of Virginia Beach
from the sand bars to the beach, which is restored control has blocked new sediment from entering the
gradually to its natural shape. Sometimes, however, coastal system.
sediment moving along the shore leaves the beach
system entirely, swept into inlets or taken far offshore The addition of hard structures, such as groins for
into deep water where waves cannot return it to the coastal stabilization, sometimes has made erosion
worse. Structures like these have been designed to

Photo courtesy of Marlowe & Company

beach. This causes the shoreline to recede, or move
farther landward. retain sediment moving along the shore and help
maintain wide beaches by minimizing or slowing down
Over time, these processes – combined with sea level local erosion. In the past, however, if these structures
rise – produce larger waves that break farther landward. were not designed properly, they sometimes transferred
In flat coastal areas, beach erosion and shoreline erosion problems farther down the beach.
Storm waves break farther up on an eroding beach in 1991 at
recession can have dramatic consequences to people
Sandbridge, Va., threatening people and property.
and property. Because of natural processes – coupled with the
effects of development and other human interventions
– sediment in certain areas is being lost to the
Complex coastal processes, which vary in intensity and significance, determine how sediment moves If nature cannot take its course with natural renourishment,
coastal system
coasts can erode.
���� • Wind not only produces currents and In some regions, wide beaches are narrowing, or
waves but also picks up and moves retreating.2 When accretion and erosion are not in
����
sediment on the beach and dunes. balance, there are consequences to beaches, coastal
habitats, people, recreation, and the economy. For
• Tides – whose rise and fall depend example, too little sediment in some areas can make
on local physical conditions and the valuable real estate, coastal wetlands, or recreational
����������������� gravitational effects of the sun, moon, amenities more vulnerable to damage; too much
���������������������������������
and earth – generate currents. sediment in commercial shipping channels can restrict

Photo courtesy of NOAA Coastal Services Center

������������������

the passage of ships delivering goods to our ports.

• Currents near the beach are formed
through a combination of wind, tides,
��������� waves, and the shape of adjacent sand
bars. Currents can move large volumes
of sediment along the beach or to deep
water offshore.
�����
�����
�������
����������������� • Waves that break during calm weather
cause turbulence, which stirs up sediment
from the shore bottom. This sediment
Photo courtesy of Marlowe & Company

����������������������������
��������������
��������� can be deposited onshore and offshore,
Beginning in the 1930s, communities attempted to control erosion
parallel or perpendicular to the beach.
by installing structures such as groins.
��������
�������
• Accretion and erosion refer to changes
���������
in sediment volume in a coastal area.
Shoreline recession and shoreline
advance refer to a change in position
������
����������
of the shoreline, farther landward and
������� ����������� farther seaward, respectively.
�����������������
Coastal development – driven by economics and aesthetics and
• Sea level rise exposes areas farther regulated at the local level – has been occurring for decades.
��������������������������������� ���������
inland to the coastal processes that Even though government at all levels has created programs and
����������������
move sediment. restrictions to discourage further growth in vulnerable areas, coastal
development continues.
 BEFORE

SOCIETY RESPONDS
Because people highly value the economic, recreational,
and environmental resources on the coasts, there is
public interest in protecting our nation’s beaches

People are driven by a strong desire to protect life and

property. Trillions of dollars in property, structures, and
infrastructure overlook our nation’s shorelines. Eroding
beaches, left alone, will continue to put people, as well
as our cultural, historic, economic, and environmental
resources, at risk for damages from hurricanes and
coastal storms.

Measures designed to protect our nation’s coasts and

prevent or reduce damages ultimately cost less than AFTER
NARROW, ERODING BEACHES HAVE federal disaster assistance and insurance payouts if
overwhelming economic losses occur after a natural
INSUFFICIENT SAND VOLUME TO PROTECT catastrophe.6 If significant damages can be prevented,
DEVELOPED COASTAL AREAS FROM THE emergency equipment can get into a coastal region
faster, evacuated residents can return home sooner, and
EFFECTS OF HURRICANES AND STORMS the high costs of cleanup and rebuilding structures and
infrastructure can be avoided.

Significant destruction from flooding, wave Shore protection can help safeguard the public’s

Photos courtesy of USGS

attack, and storm surge is more likely as an investment in our nation’s coasts
eroding beach assumes a steeply sloping profile
and the coastline moves inland, ever closer to Shore protection projects are designed to retain and
people and property along the shore rebuild natural systems such as bluffs, dunes, wetlands,
and beaches and to protect structures and infrastructure
The physical characteristics of the coastline, tides, landward of the shoreline. Shore protection not only
and other factors can affect what happens when can reduce a storm’s potential physical and economic Storm surge can inundate structures on an eroding beach and
a storm makes landfall on an eroding beach. damages from waves, storm surge, and the resulting cause them to collapse. Hurricane Ivan in 2004 destroyed these
While the width of the beach affects wave attack, coastal flooding but also can mitigate coastal erosion structures at Orange Beach, Ala.
the elevation of the beach affects storm surge, a and even help restore valuable ecosystems that may
higher than normal rise in sea level caused by high have been lost such as beaches, wetlands, reefs, and
winds and topped by nesting areas. Hard structures parallel to the shore, such as breakwaters
waves. Storm surge
or seawalls, help stop waves from affecting the shore
can inundate and Hurricane Ivan in 2004 caused the shoreline to recede 40 feet There are several ways to protect the shore: or beachfront dwellings; structures perpendicular to
destroy coastal areas. on the Alabama and Florida panhandle coasts and produced
• Hard coastal structures; the shore, such as groins, influence the movement of
The higher the storm up to 165 feet of erosion in certain areas. Some dunes that
• Non-structural solutions such as relocation or sediment along the shore by waves and currents.
surge, the closer the were 30-feet high were eroded to just 2 feet. Ivan’s storm surge
water and waves washed over the low-lying barrier islands near Gulf Shores, retreat (controls that restrict building and coastal
development); and In the past, hard structures were used exclusively for
are to more people Ala., transporting sediment and cutting a new inlet. Several
shore protection, but sometimes they changed the
and property. On an miles east, where barrier islands rose higher, dunes eroded, • Soft measures such as beach nourishment. shape and nature of beaches and even blocked sediment
eroding beach at a undercutting and toppling five-story condominium buildings.5
transport. Today hard structures are still used when
low elevation, even a
Heavily populated areas with significant appropriate, either alone or in combination with beach
modest storm surge
coastal development – but without sufficient sand nourishment.
can cause significant
damage. volume, a wide beach, and protective dunes – risk
great damage from hurricanes and coastal storms. Non-structural solutions such as increasing building
setbacks, elevating structures, and implementing zoning
Rising water can
restrictions may lessen the consequences of erosion, but
inundate low barrier Eroding beaches threaten the environment, they won’t slow it down. And retreating from the shore,
islands, cut a new recreation leaving property, structures, and infrastructure behind
inlet, and wash
– some $3 trillion along the East Coast alone – is rarely
sediment inland. If a beach cannot provide a protective buffer,
Photo courtesy of Scott L. Douglass

practical or politically feasible.7,8 It is difficult to reverse

Waves can attack the coastal wetlands are at risk: In fact, sediment some 300 years of development.
base of a dune or overwash, salt water inundation, and erosion may
create vertical cuts cause essential wetlands to disappear.
that erode the dune
Beach erosion may harm ecosystems by changing
completely, exposing
habitat conditions for wildlife. In some cases,
people and property
habitat for sea turtles, birds, fish, plants, and other
to potential damage.
organisms may be lost. Sufficient sand with the
Waves can scour
right characteristics and in the proper locations is
sediment from around structures and pilings and
crucial for sea turtles to nest, and for birds to nest
strip bricks off of homes. Erosion can undermine
and feed.
slabs, which can fail and then damage homes.
Even property farther inland is at risk as shorelines A receding shoreline also can jeopardize a coastal
continue to recede and dunes collapse, since area’s capacity for recreation. If beaches become Breakwaters, constructed offshore but parallel to the shore, break
the storm surge’s fast-moving water can rapidly narrow or unstable, travel and tourism along the waves before they reach the shore. Breakwaters help retain sand and
inundate and destroy structures behind the beach. coasts will suffer. reduce local erosion.
 Beach nourishment, the only shore protection method outside sources to restore an eroding beach. Or, a beach
that adds sand to the coastal system, is the preferred is constructed where only a small beach, or no beach,
method for shore protection today existed.8 Ultimately, beach nourishment widens a beach
and advances the shoreline seaward.
During a beach nourishment project, large volumes of
beach-quality sand, called beach fill, are added from Beach nourishment projects are designed and
engineered to work like natural beaches, allowing sand
to shift continuously in response to changing waves
and water levels. Coastal engineers may decide to
place beach fill as underwater mounds, directly on the
beach, as dunes – or all three. This sand, once placed, is
redistributed gradually by natural processes affecting the

Photo courtesy of the City of Virginia Beach

beach system. Ultimately, the wider, nourished beach,
which slopes gently downward below the water, and the
taller sand dunes protect the shore by acting as naturally
protective buffers.

• The gradual slope of the nourished beach causes waves

to break in shallow water as they begin to feel bottom.
As water rushes up the beach, wave energy dissipates.
Photo courtesy of the City of Virginia Beach

• Water running back down the beach redistributes

sediment, which is deposited in deeper water or moved
along the shore. The Corps of Engineers manages the federal shore protection program.
• These sediments often create an offshore bar that
causes waves to break farther offshore, again
dissipating wave energy, and thus protecting people
and property behind the beach. water resource activities include navigation, recreation,
ecosystem restoration, and emergency response.
To ensure that a nourished beach continues to provide
This beach nourishment project is under construction at protection and mitigate the effects of hurricanes and Local governments often initiate beach
Virginia Beach, Va. coastal storms, the project must be supplemented nourishment projects
with additional quantities of sand, called periodic
Beach nourishment projects often begin after a local

Photo courtesy of Scott L. Douglass

renourishment, as needed.
���� government decides that it has valuable resources
������������
����������������� The federal government helps communities protect – dense development and other economic and
�������������� certain beaches by providing shore protection with environmental resources behind a beach – needing
beach nourishment protection from hurricanes and coastal storms. The
community already may have endured flooding and
��������������������� property damage from recent storms, or its narrowing
Coastal development began in the early 1900s. In those
beach may be affecting recreational capacities and BEFORE
days, individual property owners attempted to build their
own structures to control erosion after hurricanes and threatening the local economy.
coastal storms – but with unacceptable results. These
Coastal engineers often place beach fill directly on the beach structures not only were ineffective and unattractive but The local government approaches the federal
to extend the natural berm seaward. also harmful to the environment.9 government with a request for assistance; the federal
government must determine that there is a federal
���� In 1930, Congress authorized the U.S. Army Corps of interest in protecting these areas to prevent damages.
Engineers to play a role in shore protection. During For projects with federal involvement, the beach
the 1950s, construction began on the first 18 federal receiving protection must be accessible to the public;
for example, there must be adequate parking or access

Photo courtesy of J. Richard Weggel

shore protection projects, most of them involving
beach nourishment. Through 2006, the Corps has to public transportation. Additionally, the community
�����������������
constructed 87 major shore protection projects, most requesting the project must be willing to help pay for it,
on the Atlantic coast. Today the Corps continues to since Congress requires that costs for beach nourishment
provide shore protection, including beach nourishment, and periodic renourishment be shared by the federal
under the Flood and Coastal Storm Damage Reduction government and the local sponsor, which operates the
In some cases, beach fill is placed as underwater mounds. Program as part of its civil works mission. Other Corps project over time.
AFTER
Not all proposed projects will get built. Projects must
go through a rigorous evaluation process, including an Dunes included in a beach nourishment project act as a protective
environmental analysis, reviews by state and federal barrier, preventing flooding and storm damage caused by storm surge,
agencies, public hearings, and the Corps’ internal review wave runup, and overtopping. This project was constructed at
process. Ocean City, N.J.
Photos courtesy of Tom Campbell

From 1950 through 2006, the Corps has helped construct

beach nourishment projects on approximately 350 miles
of U.S. shoreline, with most projects on the Atlantic and
Gulf coasts. Beach nourishment projects constructed by
the Corps have reduced damages to coastal development
caused by erosion, hurricanes, and flooding; protected
BEFORE AFTER and renewed the natural habitat; and provided recreation
and economic benefits.
Beach nourishment, which adds sand to the coastal system, protects people and property from the effects of hurricanes and coastal storms by
widening a beach and advancing the shoreline seaward. This project was constructed at Panama City Beach, Fla.
 What features should be designed and constructed?

Monitoring of past beach nourishment projects – and

better scientific information on how these projects
interact with sediment transport and other coastal
processes – have improved beach nourishment designs,
which can include beach berms, sand dunes, feeder

Photo courtesy of Marlowe & Company

beaches, underwater berms, and some types of hard
structures.

A higher and wider beach berm is designed to

reduce wave energy. New sand dunes may need to
be constructed or existing dunes improved to reduce
damage from inundation. By acting as a protective
barrier, dunes help prevent flooding and storm damage
caused by storm surge, wave runup, and overtopping.
Berm height and width, dune height, and offshore slope
are critical elements of a beach nourishment design.

Sometimes a feeder beach, which stockpiles beach fill

for distribution naturally to other parts of the project

Photos courtesy of the City of Jacksonville, Fla.

area, may be required. In some cases, sand is placed in

BEACH NOURISHMENT shallow water so waves can move it gradually toward

the beach; in other cases, sand may be placed offshore

PROJECTS ARE ENGINEERED in an underwater berm. Hard structures such as

groins may be included to reduce the forces that cause
rapid sediment losses and extend the time between
Coastal engineers use their knowledge of complex By understanding beach topography above and renourishment events.
coastal processes and decades of experience in below the water, coastal engineers can identify
beach nourishment to plan and design projects coastal processes at the site, calculate the volume Beach nourishment projects are designed to optimize
of beach fill needed, and determine how long the storm damage reduction benefits relative to costs.
Every beach nourishment design is unique, since project will last before renourishment is required. Designing a project to protect against any and all storms
different beaches in different areas have different Periodic renourishment intervals – which vary is not economically feasible. Extreme conditions and During project design, coastal engineers often include features that
physical, geologic, environmental, and economic based on the initial design, wave climate, sand severe storms could exceed the capacity of a beach improve habitat and encourage turtles and shorebirds to nest and
characteristics and different levels of protection used, types of storms, and project age – range on nourishment project to protect people and property. dwell on the nourished beach.
justified. Because it’s impossible to predict with average from two to 10 years.8
certainty what wave or storm
conditions will be in a given year,
coastal engineers use computer
models to help design beach
nourishment projects based on a
range of expected beach behavior
and certain types of storms.

During the planning process, the

study team must evaluate complex
environmental issues; find ways to
Photo courtesy of the City of Virginia Beach

maximize benefits and minimize

construction costs; and ensure that
Photo courtesy of Scott L. Douglass

Photo courtesy of Scott L. Douglass

the project complies with federal,
state, and local laws and regulations.
Some key questions are:

What are the site boundaries

and design considerations?

Will beach nourishment take place

on a long, straight beach – the typical
This beach nourishment project is under construction at Sandbridge
location – within a “pocket beach,” or next to an
Beach in Virginia. What ‘borrow source’ for beach fill should be used? pumped onto the beach. Or, sand for beach fill can be
inlet? The design must consider climatology, the
taken from dry land sources and transported by trucks.
shape of the beach, type of native sand, volume
Beach nourishment is not an exact science; The sand to nourish a beach comes from a borrow
and rates of sediment transport, erosion patterns
variables and uncertainties exist. Actual periodic source, chosen based on compatibility of sand, cost, Finding an affordable borrow source with sufficient
and causes, waves and water levels, historical
renourishment intervals may differ from planned removal and transportation, and environmental factors. quantities of high-quality beach fill is challenging. Grain
data and previous storms, probability of certain
intervals based on conditions at the nourished Beach fill can be dredged from underwater sources size, color, composition, and texture of the material
beach behaviors at the site, existing structures and
beach and the frequency and intensity of storms of sediment such as harbors, navigation channels, or should match the native sand as closely as practical to
infrastructure, and past engineering activities in
from year to year. waterways, or from other large, offshore deposits, which ensure proper project performance. If one borrow source
the area.
is now common. Dredged material can be pumped is depleted over time, coastal engineers find another
through pipelines directly onto the beach or transported affordable borrow source.
to the shore via specially designed barges before being
During construction of a beach nourishment project,
sand is placed so that natural coastal processes
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
ARE INTEGRAL TO BEACH
HOW BEACH NOURISHMENT
can reshape the nourished beach into the desired
configuration as intended by coastal engineers
NOURISHMENT PROJECTS WORKS WHEN A STORM
The dry beach may seem “overbuilt” during
Since sediment is constantly being redistributed – COMES ASHORE
and coastlines and beaches are always on the move
construction, since sand is often placed on the shore
– plants, fish species, and other marine life are well
at fairly steep slopes. After construction, it is normal It is natural for nourished beaches and dunes to erode
adapted to the natural processes of accretion and
for the newly nourished beach to readjust and change and change as they dissipate and absorb wave energy
erosion. Nevertheless, the type, timing, extent, and
substantially within the first few months. Engineers during a storm
duration of these changes can affect our ecological
expect modest waves to move and spread the sediment
resources. Studies are still being conducted to determine
so that the nourished beach can begin assuming a Coastal engineers expect that large storms will induce
how these species become accustomed to the physical
more natural form. This sediment will continue to move sediment transport from the nourished beach and move
changes that occur when a beach nourishment project is
offshore, so that larger waves are prevented from sand offshore. When this happens, waves begin to break
constructed and periodic renourishment occurs.
reaching the shore, and along the shore. This movement farther from the shoreline, thus weakening their force
of sediment, while decreasing the width of the nourished before they reach the shoreline itself. In this way, beach
Because beach nourishment projects can affect
beach somewhat, is not erosion; rather, it indicates that nourishment projects help protect dunes and property
environmental resources at the borrow source and
the project is performing as designed. from further erosion, decrease flooding, and limit how far
placement site, responsible planning and design are
needed to prevent or reduce adverse effects to the ashore storm surge will go.
�������������������� environment and wildlife before, during, and after
A wide, flat beach berm with a sufficient volume of sand
construction:
keeps the erosive power of the waves from reaching
and destroying the dunes and structures and can reduce
����� • Beach fill can be dredged from borrow sources in
damages significantly from waves, inundation, and
���������������������� ways to minimize turbidity and in thin layers to
erosion. Without beach nourishment, the starting point
protect organisms and habitat.
for damage would be farther onshore; a nourished
���������������� • Sensitive areas such as reefs and hard bottom areas beach, with sufficient sand volume and healthy dunes,
can be avoided or protected from damage during absorbs the storm’s energy, even during slow-moving
storms, and helps prevent damages to structures and

Photo courtesy of S. Brooke

dredging.
infrastructure.
����������������������������� • Beach fill can be selected to match the native sand

Photo courtesy of the City of Virginia Beach

size and composition as closely as possible; closely
matched beach fill helps accommodate species’
��������������
needs for sea turtle nesting, egg incubation, and
hatching success.
• Coastal engineers can build environmental amenities
• Construction can be scheduled during specific months
�������������������������� into a project based on needs at the site. In an eroding
to avoid disrupting nesting, spawning, or other
area, the project can be designed to produce an
behaviors and associated habitat.
artificial “overwash fan,” which spreads sand landward
������������� • Care can be taken to avoid creating steep berms or of the dune line into waters behind a barrier island, for
scarps, which can force female sea turtles and beach example. In an area with a sensitive-species habitat,
however, the project can be designed to prevent a An estimated $105 million in damage was prevented after Hurricane
nesting birds to lay their eggs too close to the water,
natural overwash fan, since additional sand could harm Isabel struck a nourished beach with a seawall at Virginia Beach in fall
������������������� where they could be washed away by tides.
������������������������������� such habitats. 2003.7 The project was designed to stop a 9-foot storm surge – and it
did. The nourished beach minimized wave attack and overtopping of
After a beach nourishment project is constructed, coastal engineers the seawall, the community’s last line of defense.
expect the beach to change gradually over time and assume a
�������������
more natural form. ���� ����������

Beach nourishment projects can have multiple benefits

����
Besides mitigating coastal erosion and protecting life and
property through hurricane and storm damage reduction, �����������������������
beach nourishment projects can provide environmental,
recreational, and aesthetic benefits. For example,
nourishing and widening an eroding beach can:

• Protect threatened or endangered plants in the ������������������������

dune area;
A nourished beach (pre-storm)
• Protect habitat behind dunes or next to beaches;
• Create or restore habitat, lost through erosion, for sea
���������������������
turtles, shorebirds, and other beach organisms; and ����������
���������
����������������
����
Photo courtesy of the City of Virginia Beach

�����������
• Create new nesting areas for endangered sea turtles ����������������������
����������� �����������

and spawning grounds for other species.

�����
Beach nourishment projects also can create and �����
sustain wider beaches for recreational activities such ���������

as fishing and boating and protect infrastructure �����������������������������������������

enjoyed by tourists. Healthy beaches not only are ������������������������������������������
crucial to the nation’s travel and tourism industry but
also can help revitalize local economies by increasing �����������������������

property values, condominium rentals, retail sales, ������������������������

and demand for services. A nourished beach (post-storm)

 Photo courtesy of the City of Jacksonville, Fla.
THE FUTURE
OF OUR COASTS:
WHAT’S IN STORE
Continued population migration and development
along the coasts, impacts from global climate changes,
relative sea level rise, and more frequent and intense
Beach nourishment projects work by allowing the destructive forces of waves to storms will continue to affect our coastlines
strike the beach instead of the structures and infrastructure behind the beach.
From 1985 to 1994, when sea surface temperatures
were lower in the tropics, there were only half as many
The height and sand volume of a dune, stabilized shoreline may have moved landward, waves hurricanes as there have been since 1995, when sea
by vegetation, also play an important role in may have eroded or even overtopped the dunes, surface temperatures and wind conditions in the Atlantic
reducing damages. During large storms, the dune great quantities of sand may have moved shifted. Now that the United States is in the midst
on a nourished beach is usually the last line of offshore or alongshore, and the beach may need of a new, long-term weather cycle, scientists predict
defense that can absorb wave energy, renourishment. But that doesn’t mean the project that frequent, clustered hurricanes will become more

Photos courtesy of USGS

protect against storm surges, and was a failure. A beach nourishment project is common, with more major hurricanes making landfall
minimize or prevent flood damages. considered successful if damages from waves, over the next 10 to 30 years. As waters remain warm,
inundation, and erosion have been prevented they’re likely to spawn more intense hurricanes.
When a storm strikes a nourished or reduced significantly, and development and
beach, sediment is redistributed in ecosystems behind the dunes are still intact. Societal changes, however, pose the greatest threat
two ways: in the longshore direction,
Illustration courtesy of USGS

����� to adjacent beaches, and in the Eroding beaches – if left alone – will continue to lose their naturally
������� The more people and property along the coasts, the
cross-shore direction, either toward protective function.
more vulnerable we are, and the larger the potential
the sea or toward land. At first,
losses – including loss of life – from the effects of
shoreline recession produced by the
hurricanes and coastal storms on eroded beaches.
cross-shore transport of sediment
may seem significant. But it is not
Nourishing an eroded beach in a highly developed area
unusual for nourished beaches to
allows nature to take its protective course. However,
change dramatically in response to storms.
����� �������� if we don’t take care of our nation’s beaches, they will
������� Storm-generated
������� currents and waves will post-storm dune lose their naturally protective function, putting people,
redistribute great quantities of sediment,
Photo courtesy of USGS

property, and the environment at great risk.

changing the profile of the nourished beach.
pre-storm duneline
Nourished beaches begin to ‘heal’ after a storm These are considerable challenges for the 21st century.

Photo courtesy of Scott L. Douglass

Within hours or days – with milder weather and As long as beach nourishment projects are planned,
time – sediment that has moved offshore or engineered, and constructed properly – and periodically
alongshore during a storm begins to move back During Hurricane Fran in 1996, no structures were destroyed renourished – beach nourishment is a sound and cost-
onshore, since much of it remains in the system. and no oceanfront development endured significant damage at effective shore protection method.
After a few months, dunes begin to recover with Wrightsville Beach, N.C., the site of a Corps beach nourishment
wind-blown sand. The sediment returns gradually, project. However, as shown here on Topsail Island, an In the future, it is likely that more communities may turn
carried by smaller waves, to restore the beach unprotected area, the shoreline eroded, and the dunes and to beach nourishment as the preferred method of shore
and prepare it to protect the shore during future hundreds of structures were destroyed.6 protection to reduce storm damages and help protect
storms. Sand that moves to other areas offshore or life and property, mitigate coastal erosion, and restore Our highly developed coastlines will continue to be vulnerable to the
alongshore can nourish adjacent beaches and also the ecosystem. effects of hurricanes and coastal storms.
have a positive effect by dissipating wave energy
in other locations.

However, a beach nourishment project can

last only so long before natural processes and
storms will have transported too much sediment
Photo courtesy of Scott L. Douglass

outside the project area. If the volume of sand

on the dry beach cannot provide adequate shore
protection, renourishment may be required to
Photo courtesy of Marlowe & Company

rebuild and restore the berm before erosive

processes affect dunes, development, and
valuable ecosystems behind the beach.

Beach nourishment projects can be considered

successful – even when a beach changes A beach nourishment project at Ocean City, Md.,
dramatically after a storm constructed in 1990 and 1991 at an initial cost of $37.5
million, immediately prevented an estimated $93 million in
The goal of beach nourishment is not to maintain damage to structures and infrastructure after severe storms
a wide, dry, exposed beach. In fact, after a struck the area the following two winters.
storm, a nourished beach may be narrow, the Beaches will continue to retreat if sediment in certain areas is lost
to the coastal system.
Beach nourishment of an eroding beach can protect people and property
from the effects of hurricanes and coastal storms.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT BEACH NOURISHMENT
Please contact the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, Engineer Research and
Development Center (ERDC), at [email protected].

WORKS CITED

1
Bourne, Joel K. Jr. “Loving Our Coasts to Death.” National Geographic. Washington, D.C. July 2006.

2
U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century. Final Report.
Washington, D.C. 2004.

3
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Policy and Strategic Planning. NOAA Economic
Statistics. U.S. Department of Commerce. May 2002.

4
Shivlani, Manoj P.; Letson, David; and Theis, Melissa. “Visitor Preferences for Public Beach Amenities and
Beach Restoration in South Florida.” Coastal Management, 31: 367-385. Taylor & Francis Inc. 2003.

5
Waymer, Jim. “Survey Details Battered Beaches; Panhandle Dunes Hardest Hit.” Florida Today.
March 25, 2005.

6
Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Hurricane Fran Effects on Communities With
and Without Shore Protection: A Case Study at Six North Carolina Beaches. Alexandria, Va.
December 2000.

7
Tennant, Diane. “Sea Change, Part 2: At the Oceanfront.” The (Norfolk, Va.) Virginian-Pilot. Sept. 19, 2005.

8
Committee on Beach Nourishment and Protection. Marine Board, Commission on Engineering and
Technical Systems, National Research Council. Beach Nourishment and Protection. National Academy
Press. Washington, D.C. 1995.

9
Morang, Andrew, and Chesnutt, Charles B. Historical Origins and Demographic and Geologic Influences on
Corps of Engineers Coastal Missions. National Shoreline Management Study, Institute for Water Resources,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. IWR Report 04-NSMS-4. January 2004.

Shore Protection Assessment is an initiative to evaluate

how federal shore protection projects performed in the
wake of hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne
in 2004. Shore Protection Assessment is a unique
opportunity for a comprehensive and coordinated
technical evaluation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and others will use these findings to improve future
projects by better predicting how storms move sediment,
change shores, and cause damage.

All photographs and illustrations were either provided or supplied by the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers unless noted otherwise.
2007