Transcript BEACH NOURISHMENT

BEACH NOURISHMENT IS HERE!
Ready or Not
A Sierra Club Policy Study
by the Marine Action Team
and the Massachusetts Chapter
CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION
The Sierra Club has done
outstanding work in
addressing the causes of
climate change, including
campaigns to reduce fossil
fuel emissions from sources
such as power plants, and
promoting clean, renewable
alternative sources of energy.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
Mitigation efforts are necessary, but they are not
sufficient, as climate change impacts are occurring
due to the amount of greenhouse gases already in
the atmosphere and growing daily.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
STRATEGIES
RETREAT
ACCOMODATION
PROTECTION
PREVENTION
PROCEDURAL
Sierra Club Chapters and
Groups which include coastal
areas should be aware of,
and engaged in, development
and implementation of
climate change adaptation
strategies. The Marine Action
Team is working with coastal
Chapters to encourage and
facilitate such engagement.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
We seek to help Chapters and Groups
promote ecologically sound climate
change adaptation strategies, including
expansions of natural buffers such as
beaches, dunes, and conservation areas
and oppose, or minimize, shoreline
armoring such as seawalls and other
structural approaches.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
We are conducting case studies in cooperation
with the Florida, Hawai‘i, and Massachusetts
Chapters, with particular focus on beach
nourishment as a widely used “soft” approach
for dealing with climate change impacts,
especially coastal erosion exacerbated by sea
level rise and increased frequency and severity
of storm surges.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
The remainder of this presentation
focuses on Massachustetts Chapter
issues.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
FOR THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS
“Climate change is the greatest
environmental challenge of this
generation, with potentially profound
effects on the economy, public health,
water resources, infrastructure, coastal
resources, energy demand, natural
features, and recreation”
Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report
September 2011
“The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts is
committed to doing its
part to mitigate and
adapt to this challenge,
recognizing the
necessity of engaging in
adaptation planning
today by taking a close
look at strategies that
could help the state
become more resilient
and ready to adapt to
climate change as it
occurs.”
Massachusetts Climate Change
Adaptation Report
September 2011
In 2013, the Massachusetts
Legislature established a Coastal
Erosion Commission to investigate
and document the levels and
impacts of coastal erosion in the
Commonwealth and develop
strategies and recommendations
to reduce, minimize, or eliminate
the magnitude and frequency of
coastal erosion and its adverse
impacts on property,
infrastructure, public safety, and
beaches and dunes.
On January 7, 2015 it published a
Draft Report and
Recommendations.
Figure 2-3. Statewide shoreline characterization summary*
The report includes summary results of an assessment
showing the composition of the state’s shoreline under
several broad descriptive categories (see Figure 2-3).
Although the Massachusetts coast contains a variety of
shoreline types, a high percentage are classified as
beaches or dunes.
* Source: Draft Coastal Erosion Commission Report, January 7, 2015 Page 2-8
The report lists a range of shoreline
management techniques for dealing with
coastal erosion, dividing them into two general
categories:
• Enhancements to the Natural System
(“soft” or natural approaches)
• Coastal Engineered Structures
(“hard” approaches, aka coastal armoring)
Dune and Beach Nourishment fit into the first
category of shoreline management techniques
SHORELINE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE
- Enhancements to the Natural System
Dune Nourishment
Beach Nourishment
Nearshore Berm
Bioengineering On Coastal Banks
Erosion Control Vegetation
Sand Fencing
Salt Marsh Creation
Sand By-Pass (Replenishment)
Sand Back-Pass (Replenishment)
Cobble Berm/Dune
The second category includes techniques which exacerbate
beach erosion or block natural retreat of shorelines
SHORELINE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE
- Coastal Engineered Structures
Breakwater/Reef–Nearshore
Breakwater–Offshore
Dike/Levee
Revetments
Seawall
Bulkhead
Groin
Jetty
Sand By-Pass or Sand Back-Pass (Replenishment)
Cobble Berm/Dune
Etc.
In general, of the two shoreline management
approaches, Sierra Club would choose
enhancements to the natural system, and
oppose inappropriate use of seawalls, groins,
and other coastal engineered structures.
Both categories of shoreline management
techniques are intended to maintain or restore
existing shoreline areas, which will be
increasingly difficult to do as sea level rise
occurs over time.
Allowing natural retreat of the shoreline, or
employing “managed retreat” strategies, are
other alternatives that might be more
appropriate for some coastal areas, especially
over the long run.
Although there are some examples of the
managed retreat approach*, current state
policy appears to favor measures to maintain
or restore coastal shorelines, with an emphasis
on the use of beach and dune nourishment
projects, and other natural and nonstructural
approaches promoted with Coastal
Community Resilience and Green
Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience grants
e.g. Town of Brewster Coastal Community Resilience Grant, 2014
Massachusetts Coastal Zone
Management Program Grants for
Coastal Communities to Combat
Effects of Climate Change
Barnstable: Coastal
Resiliency at Sandy Neck
Public Beach Facility
Sandwich: Assessment of
Century Scale Sediment
Budget for the Towns of
Sandwich and Barnstable
“Coastal communities face significant
challenges from flooding, erosion and
other impacts of storms, challenges that
are exacerbated by climate change,” said
Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary
Matthew Beaton. “These projects provide
communities both the funding and the
technical assistance needed to proactively
protect important infrastructure and
coastal shoreline habitats and natural
resources.”
Brewster: Coastal
Adaptation Strategy
for Brewster
Dennis: Improving
the Coastal
Resiliency of Dr.
Bottero Road and
Chapin Beach
Falmouth: Design and
Permitting for Restoration at
Chapoquoit Beach
The 2015 Massachusetts
Ocean Management Plan
places high priority on
beach nourishment as a
climate change
adaptation strategy,
including efforts to
identify appropriate
sources of offshore sand
deposits for beach
nourishment projects
Locations of beach
nourishment projects
1995-2014
Source:
2015 Massachusetts Ocean
Management Plan, Figure 24
Locations of
potential sand
resources,
including offshore
sources
Source:
2015 Massachusetts Ocean
Management Plan, Figure 25
The Massachusetts
Department of
Environmental
Protection
(MassDEP) has
developed a Guide to
Best Management
Practices for Projects in
Massachusetts.
This is important, as
compatibility of sand and
other fill materials with the
receiving areas is critical
Most Climate
Change Adaptation
Projects will be in
partnership with
local governments Towns in the case of
Cape Cod, often
with assistance
from state or
federal sources
Examples of Beach Management Plans
at the Town Level
CASE STUDY:
TOWN NECK BEACH
AND DUNE BEACH
NOURISHMENT
PROJECT
Town Neck Beach
- Beach Nourishment
Project
• A Case Study by the
• Sierra Club Marine Action
Team
• May, 2015
WHAT IS IT?
A proposed project by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (ACOE) to use dredged material from
the Cape Cod Canal as beach-fill on an eroded
portion of Town Neck Beach in Sandwich,
Massachusetts
WHAT IS IT?
See below for the US Army Corps of Engineers
(USACOE) title for the project:
WHAT IS IT?
“Character and Purpose of Work: The proposed
work involves maintenance dredging and
advance maintenance dredging to remove
approximately 150,000 cubic yards ( cy) of clean
sand and gravel from six areas c~ 54.4 acres) in
the authorized, 32-feet deep by 500-feet wide,
main-ship channel and the 25-feet deep EMB
portions of the project”
WHAT IS IT?
The initial project design included the following
provision for “beneficial use” of some or all of the
dredged materials:
“Disposal Areas: A study is currently ongoing under the authority
of Section 204 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992
(as amended) to evaluate the Federal interest in beneficially reusing the dredged material from the Cape Cod Canal project as
beach-fill on a 2,500 foot long eroded section of Town Neck
Beach in Sandwich. · Town Neck Beach is adjacent to the south
breakwater at the eastern end of the Canal. The town of
Sandwich has been identified as the non-Federal sponsor for cost
sharing of the study and the potential beach nourishment.”
WHAT IS IT?
“If the ·Section 204 study is completed in time to coincide with
this maintenance dredging event and the study results in a
positive benefit/cost ratio, then the material dredged from the
Canal could be placed on Town Neck Beach; the cost of which
would be shared between the Federal government and the town
of Sandwich at a 65 percent and 35 percent ratio, respectively.”
The Section 204 study was subsequently approved, and the
federal government was prepared to pay for 65% of the project
costs. “Beneficial uses” included restoration of the private
portion of the beach, affording protections to a dozen or so
property owners, plus restoration of publically owned beach and
dune areas.
PROJECT STATUS
As a requirement for use of the dredged
materials, the USACOE required public
easements on some of the properties benefitting
from the project. Some property owners refused
to grant the required easements, and the Town
of Sandwich was no longer eligible for the
Section 204 benefits.
PROJECT STATUS
Following the failure to obtain the required
easements, the Town of Sandwich approved
expenditures of funds to acquire the dredged
materials from the USACOE and apply them to
the beach and dunes area south of the private
properties, as depicted in the next slide
PROJECT STATUS
As of 10/12/15 The status of this project remains
in flux, as the private property owners have
challenged the proposed action by the Town of
Sandwich.
This project reveals that all beach nourishment
projects that involve public funding must
demonstrate sufficient public benefits, and
public access to beaches fronting private
properties is likely to be an issue.
FINDINGS
1. Two major concerns for beach
nourishment projects are (1) potential
environmental impacts, and (2) public
benefits versus public costs.
FINDINGS
2. Beach nourishment issues are sitespecific
3. Opportunities for public input through
governmental permit processes are
limited--a proactive approach is required
FINDINGS
4. Habitat protection and restoration
projects may require more than beach
nourishment
5. Beach nourishment projects may serve
to buy time for more long-range
approaches to climate change adaptation
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The Massachusetts Chapter, and the
Cape Cod and the Islands Group in
particular, should assess what priority
to attach to beach nourishment and the
broader issue of adaptation to climate
change, and devote staff and volunteer
resources accordingly. The Marine
Action Team can supplement those
resources if there is sufficient interest.
RECOMMENDATIONS
2. Efforts to monitor planned and ongoing
beach nourishment projects would best be
focused at the Town governance level.
3. Development of an inventory of
proposed, ongoing, and completed beach
nourishment and related projects, by
Town, would be a good place to start
RECOMMENDATIONS
4. Networking with other organizations
can be very valuable