OCEANFRONT SANDBAG USE IN NORTH CAROLINA: MANAGEMENT REVIEW AND SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Abstract
North Carolina’s 326 miles of oceanfront coastline is composed of barrier islands.
Inherently transitory, the position of these islands and the profile of their beaches
naturally fluctuate with the dynamic equilibrium established by waves, wind, storms,
and sea level rise. The net result of this dynamic has been erosion of 75% of the
coastline, putting oceanfront human development at risk. Erosion rates vary geographically
and temporally, ranging from a state average of two feet per year to hundreds of feet
in just a few stormy hours.
The risk posed to coastal development is ever increasing with the effects of climate
change, specifically sea level rise and increased hurricane intensity. A geospatial
analysis conducted for this project, incorporating the effects of erosion rates and
sea level rise on the shoreline position of Dare County, NC, revealed that more than
97% of the first row, oceanfront homes will encounter waves within the next hundred
years. Methods of combating this threat can be divided into three categories: hard
stabilization, soft stabilization, and relocation.
Under the direction of the Coastal Resources Commission, North Carolina has adopted
a progressive approach to regulating the use of erosion control strategies. It encourages
relocation and, unlike many other states, it has banned the use of hardened structures
on the oceanfront since 1985. The state also has strict rules governing the use of
soft stabilization techniques such as sandbags and beach nourishment. However, the
state’s policies in practice are not necessarily as strong as in writing. Focusing
on the erosion control strategy of sandbags, this paper provides a review of oceanfront
sandbag management within North Carolina through analysis of the regulations that
guide their use, comparison to alternate erosion control strategies, and recommendations
for the future based upon literature review and interviews with professionals in the
field.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/957Citation
Dean, Jennie (2009). OCEANFRONT SANDBAG USE IN NORTH CAROLINA: MANAGEMENT REVIEW AND SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/957.Collections
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