Beach Nourishment
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If we must nourish beaches, we should use the least damaging source areas for sand and regulations/laws to that effect are needed. In addition, there is a global sand quality problem – poor quality (gravelly, muddy, shelly sand) is being pumped up on beaches (North Carolina, USA, and southern Spain). Recognition of the biological impact of placing sand on a beach is a particularly great need as beach nourishment temporarily destroys the entire nearshore marine ecosystem affecting birds, nearshore fish, and invertebrates. Source areas for sand are sometimes problematic as was the case in 2007. The US Army Corps of Engineers used off-shore sand from a former dump site from WW II resulting in the deposition of sand on a New Jersey beach along with 700 live rounds of munitions. Fortunately, no one was injured, but vacationers digging in the sand found the munitions. Dubai poses different challenges – fine sediment from the dredging operations there has done permanent damage to the coral reefs and ecosystem. Active coral reefs were buried when artificial islands were created after 2000.
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Dredging for sand set to begin in Topsail Beach
Sand that was lost during Hurricane Irene last year is being replaced this week. Officials in Topsail Beach expect that the pumping of sand onto the beach will started on Monday.
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Beach Renourishment Harms Ecosystem
Pumping sand onto the coastline helps maintain wide beaches for tourism and property protection, but some scientists say it also damages a fragile and often overlooked ecosystem for fish and birds.
Beach Erosion Causes 18-Foot Cliffs In Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey, is blocking access to a half-mile stretch of beachfront after erosion created cliffs as high as 18 feet. It will be at least four months until the beaches will be open to the public again.
Cannes’ Latest Beach Replenishment Project
The City of Cannes has filed an application with the State services for replenishment services to a number of beaches by recharge of dredged sand on the beach by marine delivery to the affected areas of the south and other coastal beaches. The value of this project is 4,347,826 EUR…
Okaloosa County Abolishes Beach Renourishment
After more than four years of debate, fears of dark, shell-heavy sand being dumped on Okaloosa Island’s white beaches have been put to rest as Okaloosa County commissioners abolished the beach renourishment project.
To Save a Beach, They May Ruin It
Florida led the nation in establishing detailed criteria for ensuring that only high-quality sand is placed on Florida beaches during construction of beach nourishment projects.
Hawaii to Add Sand to Chronically Eroding Waikiki Beach
A $2.3 million state project to widen a chronically eroding section of Waikiki beach with sand pumped in from offshore, will begin by the end of this month. Waikiki naturally has a narrow beach, and people have been adding sand to the shoreline to make it wider. The earliest beach replenishment projects are believed to date to the 1920s. The first well-documented case was in 1939…
Sri Lanka Battles Sea Erosion
In the past, to shore up defences against sea erosion, Sri Lanka has used hard structures including rock, which disfigures beach areas and could also shift erosion to adjacent areas, by redirecting energy…
Dutch Unveil Plan In War Against The Sea: A Sandbar
In its age-old war to keep back the sea, low-lying Netherlands has dumped sand onto a surface larger than 200 football fields just off the coast, and will wait for nature to do the rest…
