Beach replenishment

The general theme of Nags Head s mitigation plan is based on a strategy of recognized history and the assumption that it is far better to adapt a policy of planned retreat than to wait for a disaster to strike. For example, one landmark property in Nags Head is called the Outlaw House. It has been moved back five times in 100 years. A beach replenishment project would cost 9,000,000 for sand replenishment for 4.5 miles, compared with a retreat option of 2,000,000 every 20-25 years. 

The method is often employed in case of limited water depth for access by THSDs, which may be the result of initial dumping or because of its natural presence. Rainbowing is often used for beach replenishment where the vessel comes close to the shore but can also be used to create an island in open water. Once this island is in place, filling is continued from this raised island using pipelines. Other apphca-tions include the crossing of existing pipelines, dikes, etc. 

Then came the replenishment of the beach sand, with quantities added to replace the eroded sand. Or, the beach was scraped and bulldozed in order to release compacted sand. The sand dune volume was increased with sand fencing, raising the frontal dune elevation, and plugging dune gaps. Vegetation was planted on the dunes, and marshes were developed on the sound side. 

As the armor fails, so do the efforts to replenish the beach with sand. The cost of pumping sand in from offshore sites increases as the source of sand steadily diminishes. Holding the sand with planted vegetation on sand dunes and in marshes on the sound side is seldom enough to withstand a hurricane. The cost to replenish sand at Miami Beach, for example, is very high, but revenues from the many people and the hotels that need it pay the cost. For less high profile beaches, the use by a smaller population does not meet the costs of replenishment. 

Barefoot Factor Turks and Caicos beaches are all powdered with white, finely crushed coral and calcium carbonate. Some I 96 square miles of reef encircle the islands I 93 square miles of land, safeguarding the beaches from waves and surges, and replenishing them with fresh clean sand. 

Artificial replenishment ot the shore by building beach tills is used either if it is economically preferable or if artificial barriers fail to defend the shore adequately from erosion. In fact, beach nourishment represents the only form of coastal protection that does not adversely affect other sectors of the coast. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to predict how frequently a beach should be renourished. Ideally, the beach fill used for renourishment should have a similar particle size distribution as the natural beach material. 

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