Support Research, Monitoring and Decision Support Tools

Case Studies:

Overview:

Web-based Shoreline Atlases, like this one from Washington, can provide valuable shoreline erosion data to coastal managers.

Accurate, up-to-date scientific data is essential for making effective shoreline management decisions. Therefore, research, monitoring and data collection should be an integral component of any shoreline management and erosion control program. Good data will enable decision makers to select the most environmentally appropriate and economically feasible approaches. Policy and management decisions backed by trusted scientific data will also be able to withstand legal challenges in the courts. Research programs could include calculating the annual shoreline erosion rate, identifying drift cell boundaries and important feeder areas, conducting an inventory of shoreline habitats, or monitoring the effectiveness of new erosion control technologies.

Benefits: Provides important data that can be used for management decisions.

Drawbacks: Research can be costly and time-consuming. Likely not feasible to get all the data you would prefer to have. Data can be site-specific and difficult to transfer to another area.

Case Studies:

Maine Volunteer Monitoring Study

To better understand seasonal erosion rates and the change in beach profiles over time, Maine is using citizen volunteer teams to conduct monthly beach profiles at 15 sites along Maine's southern coastline. The teams measure beach elevation, take pictures of the beach to document erosion or accretion, and report their data to the Maine Geological Survey and geologists with the University of Maine. The monitoring program developed an online data entry form to allow volunteers with internet access to enter their data electronically to cut down on the amount of paper work associated with the program. In addition, current meters moored in two embayments measure current direction and wave height. The monitoring program has provided valuable data to augment the state's and university's efforts. For example, the data is being used to develop Maine's regional beach management plans. In addition, future beach nourishment decisions will use the volunteer data to evaluate the merits of various multi-million dollar nourishment proposals.

Additional information about the volunteer profiling project can be found at the following sites:

Washington Coastal Atlas

To assist local governments with their Shoreline Management Planning efforts, the Washington Department of Ecology maintains a Washington Coastal Atlas. The atlas is an online GIS mapping tool that allows coastal managers to easily access and manage geospatial data for the state's coastal region. Data layers available on the site include biological features such as wetlands and underwater grass beds, and physical features including drift cells and slope stability data. The atlas also includes aerial photos to view other shoreline features such as the level of development and presence of any shoreline modification.

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Oregon Coastal Atlas

Oregon's Coastal Atlas includes several decision-support tools that use GIS and simple mathematical models to help coastal managers, planners and scientists manage Oregon's shoreline. Tools include: (1) Potential for Dune Overtopping Tool: which allows a user to project and map extreme ocean water levels—an indicator of "wave overtopping"; (2) Potential for Dune Undercutting Tool: which allows a user to project and map foredune retreat—an indicator of the potential for ocean erosion, or so-called "wave-undercutting"; (3) Potential for Bluff Recession Tool: which allows a user to project and map the potential for bluff recession due to erosion or landslides; and (4) Coastal Inundation Visualization Tool: which, developed by NOAA's Coastal Services Center in conjunction with their Coastal Storms Program, uses real-time data to project potential wave inundation along the ocean shore near Tillamook, Oregon. The information can be used to evaluate the potential for erosion and establish appropriate setback distances along coastal margins for the safe establishment of homes and other infrastructure. The inundation tool can also be used to improve forecasting and observation capabilities, and to assist in preparation for, and awareness of, coastal storms.

Maryland and Virginia Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Reports

As part of its Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has been generating Shoreline Situation Reports (SSRs) on a county by county basis for Virginia since the 1970s. The SSRs, which identify important shoreline features, serve as the foundation for the state's shoreline management planning. More recently, the Maryland Coastal Program and Maryland Department of Natural Resources have also funded VIMS to develop similar SSRs for many Maryland counties.

Armed with hand-held GPS units, VIMS surveyors travel along the shoreline in small boats to record shoreline features. They use a three-tired shoreline assessment approach noting specific conditions of the immediate riparian zone, shore bank, and shoreline itself. Land use activities within the riparian zone are noted. The height, stability and vegetative cover for the bank is also recorded. Finally, the surveyors note the presence of shoreline structures for erosion control or recreation purposes (e.g., docks, marinas and boat ramps). Next, three GIS coverages are generated from the GPS data: (1) land use and bank conditions; (2) shoreline protection structures; (3) shoreline access and recreational structures. Finally these maps are used to produce the SSR which contains a written analysis of the extensive shoreline survey, map and tabular data from the survey, and suggestions for potential data applications, focusing on current management issues.

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Beach Scoring System for the Management of Maine's Sandy Shoreline

Many of Maine's sandy beaches are eroding. To help address this problem, the Maine Coastal Program, using Section 309 Coastal Zone Management Enhancement funds, supported the Maine Geological Survey (MGS) to develop a beach scoring system for the state's sandy shoreline. The pilot study, which focused on Saco Bay in Southern Maine, not only enabled managers to identify beaches where erosion control efforts are needed but to also prioritize the sites and help determine which type of beach management action would be most appropriate.

Image taken from ArcViewÆ GIS illustrating the results of the scoring system

Image taken from a GIS illustrating the results of the scoring system for the average management need along the Saco Bay shoreline. Based on physical data, there are 21 different 'reaches of need'. The areas of highest need are concentrated near the Saco River jetties.

Using existing shoreline data such as shoreline change rate, shoreline type, dry-beach volume, the difference between maximum dune/wall elevation and FEMA base flood elevation, and encroachment distance ('total width'), the MGS developed a beach scoring system. The scoring system, which followed the general methodology developed by Taylor Engineering in Jasksonville, FL, was adapted specifically for the Maine coast. The scoring system ranked the six criteria from 1 (excellent) to 4 (poor) based on the spread of data for the criteria within Saco Bay. MGS then scored each cross-shore segment (taken at 100 ft integrals) to determine if beach management was necessary.

After the Maine Geological Survey had identified where erosion was occurring, they developed an additional scoring system to determine which type of management action (beach renourishment, dune restoration, or no action) would be best for each shoreline segment.

By using the scoring system, Maine was able to identify and rank 21 reaches that needed some type of beach management (see photo). They also were able to identify which areas needed dune restoration, which would benefit from nourishment, and where a combination of both activities was needed.

 

 

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