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"UN6L2.. Soft Alternative Strategies for Beach Erosion Instead of building structures along beaches, other strategies can be put into place to manage beach erosion. Vegetation management and beach nourishment, also known as soft alternative strategies, involve relocating materials to the beach and just offshore to help fight erosion. Beach nourishment involves adding sand and sediment to a beach. Unlike structures that help to keep existing sand and sediment on the shores, beach nourishment replaces what has been lost. It helps to create new natural environments, rebuild sand dunes, and protect sediment volume during sea level rise. In some areas, beach nourishment is the preferred method over hard structures for fighting erosion when the threat of flood or sea level rise is not prevalent. However, beach nourishment is a very expensive strategy. It requires the pumping or trucking of sand onto beaches. In some cases, this can cost millions of dollars. It is also not a long-term solution to the problem of erosion. Another alternative to building hard structures is vegetation management along shorelines. Vegetation management is similar to beach nourishment in that they both bring materials to the shore and beach to help fight erosion. Vegetation management works to maintain and bring in plant life around shorelines to help trap more sand and sediment and keep it on the beach. The thicker and larger the vegetation, the more sand and sediment build up over time. Review the website to learn more about a town's use of multiple strategies for beach erosion."

"UN6L3. Beach nourishment is a common strategy for managing beach erosion. Reviewing and analyzing the data from past projects leads to improved decision-making and effectiveness. Cost: The cost of beach nourishment is extremely high. Each project ranges in the millions of dollars. Projects are federally and locally funded, spreading the cost burden. Time and Materials: Each beach nourishment project can last months, closing parts of beaches as a result. Materials and equipment brought in to extract sand are heavy and costly, and workers toil around the clock to complete projects. Long-term Effectiveness: Unlike hard structures such as jetties or seawalls, beach nourishment is not permanent. While the short-term outcome produces wider beaches, bad weather and hurricanes can continue to erode beaches. Beach nourishment has to be redone approximately every 5–7 years."

Beach nourishment is _______. (give the definition) (U6L2 Page 5, second paragraph)
Here are some benefits of beach nourishment: (U6L2 Page 5, second paragraph - 4 benefits are listed)
Here are some costs of beach nourishment: (U6L3 Page 8)
Beach nourishment can cost a city or county government _______. (how much?) (U6L3 Page 8)
The project can take _______. (how long?) (U6L3 Page 8)
Beach nourishment must be repeated ______. (how often?) (U6L3 Page 8)
The project is often paid for by _______. (whom?) (U6L3 Page 8)

1 answer

Beach nourishment is: the process of adding sand and sediment to a beach to replace what has been lost through erosion. This strategy helps to create new natural environments, rebuild sand dunes, and protect sediment volume during sea-level rise.

Here are some benefits of beach nourishment:

  1. Creates new natural environments.
  2. Rebuilds sand dunes.
  3. Protects sediment volume during sea level rise.
  4. Preferred method over hard structures in certain areas when flood or sea level rise threats are low.

Here are some costs of beach nourishment: The cost of beach nourishment is extremely high, with projects ranging in the millions of dollars.

Beach nourishment can cost a city or county government: millions of dollars.

The project can take: months to complete.

Beach nourishment must be repeated: approximately every 5–7 years.

The project is often paid for by: federal and local funding.