Sand Cents

The value of many oceanfront properties on the East Coast could drop dramatically if Congress were to suddenly end federal beach nourishment subsidies. Values could fall by as much as 17 percent in towns with high property values and almost 34 percent in towns with low property values.

The Jersey Shore’s Unquenchable Thirst for Sand

New Jersey, with its 127-mile coastline, has spent about $800 million on beach replenishment over the last 30 years – more than any other state, including Florida, which has an 1,800-mile coastline. That is equivalent to 80 million cubic yards of sand – or about a dump truck load for every foot of beach.

How the Surfing Business Could be a Wipeout for an Iconic Calif. Town

To create perfect surfing conditions, nature needs to provide the right amount of deep-ocean swells, peculiar ocean-floor geography and wind. Coupled with sea-level rise, as beaches erode, the practice of beach replenishment – dredging and dumping sand to extend beaches and reclaim them from the ocean – is also destroying surf in some communities.

Is Beach Renourishment Worth The Money?

Surf, sand and sun are big draws for southeastern North Carolina. In fact, our beaches keep much of our economy afloat, but they take a lot of maintenance.

Palm Beach Mid-Town Dredge Project, A Video

Aerial video of the Town of Palm Beach, Mid-Town dredge project; with comments courtesy of Robert S. Young, PhD, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, Professor, Coastal Geology, Western Carolina University.

What Happens When You Bring Sand to the Beach

A homeowners association, in San Diego County, California, claims that a $28.5 million sand-replenishment project has gone wrong. The 450,000 cubic yards of sand taken from offshore sites and placed on less than a mile of coastline created a flood hazard.

Erosion Creates Dangerous Situation on Waikiki Beach

Over the past several months severe erosion has caused a concrete slab near the water’s edge at Kuhio Beach to become exposed. Beach erosion in Waikiki has been a problem for decades and has resulted in at least 10 sand replenishment projects since 1939. 300,000 cubic yards of sand has been placed onto Waikiki Beach over the past 77 years.