Summary of Seawall and Beach Interaction at Northern Monterey Bay, California
Abstract
To summarize results of recent field studies on the effects of coastal armoring on beaches along northern Monterey Bay, California. Engineers and scientists are studying seawalls, revetments and bulkheads to define the effects of coastal armoring on beaches. Seawalls, revetments and bulkheads are structures built to protect a coastal community against wave attack and flooding during severe storms, since there are few other structural alternatives available to provide the same degree of protection. Throughout the remainder of this document seawalls, revetments and bulkheads will be grouped together and referred to simply as seawalls. The failure of some seawalls and rapid erosion of the foreshore in the vicinity of some seawalls has prompted controversy as to whether seawalls protect or damage natural beaches. Coastal planners and managers become increasingly reluctant to consider these structures for their coastal defense applications. Both North Carolina and Maine have legislation prohibiting the construction of seawalls.. In other states such as Texas, Florida, and Massachusetts, construction of seawalls or other types of hard structures along the coastline is severely restricted.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA591710
Entities
Organizations
- Coastal Engineering Research Center