Waikiki beach-renourishement, 2012. Photograph: © SAF — Coastal Care.
“Hawaii’s famed Waikiki Beach started to erode again, less than a year after the completion of a $2.2 million project to replenish the sand on about 1,730 feet of shoreline that had been suffering from chronic erosion.”Captions.
“Development is absolutely responsible for the majority of the beach nourishment,” Andrew Coburn, assistant director of The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University, said. “Well over 99 percent of the shorelines that are nourished are developed so there is some economic value placed behind them.”
Excerpts;
300,000 cubic yards of sand have been discovered off Kahana Bay in April, and the offshore sand is intended to be dredged to re-nourish eroding beaches in west Maui.
“It’s a long process to get the sand to shore, said Tara Owns, coastal processes and hazards specialist for the University of Hawaii Sea Grant. Research, planning and permitting could take five years with costs estimated between $15 million and $20 million…”
Read Full Article, Hawaii Tribune Herald
Doubling of Coastal Erosion by Mid-Century in Hawai’i, Science Daily (03-24-2015)
Chronic erosion dominates the sandy beaches of Hawai’i, causing beach loss as it damages homes, infrastructure, and critical habitat. Researchers have long understood that global sea level rise will affect the rate of coastal erosion. However, new research indicates that coastal erosion of Hawai’i’s beaches may double by mid-century…
Sand Moved To Cover Waikiki Beach Erosion Swept Away, Video (Uploaded 11-25-2013)
Just a day after crews tackled an erosion problem at Kuhio Beach in Waikiki, half of the sand they brought in was washed away, according to city officials…
Waikiki Beach Eroding Less Than A Year After $2.2M Sand Restoration, Pacific Business News (Uploaded 01-24-2013)
A section of Hawaii’s famed Waikiki Beach is starting to erode, less than a year after the completion of a $2.2 million project to replenish the sand on about 1,730 feet of shoreline that had been suffering from chronic erosion.
Scientists Urge Shoreline Retreat From Hawaii’s Eroding Beaches, EE News
Sea-level rise is a significant factor in the major shoreline change underway in Hawaii, where 52 to 72 percent of beaches on the chain of islands have eroded over the past century.
70 Percent of Beaches Eroding On Hawaiian Islands Kauai, Oahu, and Maui, USGS (Uploaded 05-08-2012)
Hawaii’s Beaches Are in Retreat, and Its Way of Life May Follow, The New York Times
Scientists Foresee Losses as Cities Fight Beach Erosion, Climate Central (08-14-2015)
Beaches are facing off against a changing climate, and they’re losing ground. Literally…
Pilkey’s Call: Save The Beaches; News Observer (08-09-2015)
Beaches move, and with rising sea levels they are moving faster. People try to slow or halt the process by dredging up sand or erecting imposing seawalls, but those are destructive and doomed efforts. To save the beaches, we must let beaches go where and how they want…
Palm Beach Mid-Town Dredge Project, A Youtube Video (02-04-2015)
“Beach nourishment projects like this have become commonplace along the US East and Gulf Coasts. These projects have immediate environmental impacts through burial of nearshore habitat and increased turbidity during project placement.The cumulative environmental impacts of doing this repeatedly on the same beach while conducting projects from Maine to Texas is unknown. But, we should be concerned. ” —Robert S. Young, PhD, Director, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, Professor, Coastal Geology, Western Carolina University
“”The Beaches Are Moving,” A Video featuring Orrin Pilkey, PhD
World famous coastal geologist Orrin H. Pilkey takes us to the beach and explains why erosion has become a problem…
