In fact, shorelines have undergone change since time immemorial. Man, with his drive to control
the shore for his own ends, often loses sight of this essential fact. The results have been catastrophic for
many property owners, both private and public. The situation is not hopeless, however. A variety of
alternatives are available to property owners. Most of them require careful judgment and often-
considerable investment to correctly implement. Therefore, it is important to understand the principal
forces at work before acting. By considering the shoreline processes in your general area, rather than the
immediate problem at your property, you develop a broader perspective that enables you to make a more
informed decision.
This report has four main objectives: to acquaint you with the actual shoreline processes at work;
to explain available alternatives; to review the entire decision process leading to an appropriate choice
from among available options; and to identify sources of additional help.
Discussion is limited to sheltered waters where low cost, owner-implemented shore protection can
be successful. Application to open coast sites experiencing the full force of oceanic waves is not
intended, and those who do so should realize the considerable chances for failure. Applications of low
cost methods to open coast sites are definitely not recommended.
The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers has produced this report as a public service. While the
methods described herein have been successfully utilized to slow or arrest erosion problems, no method
is successful in all cases. Therefore, the government cannot guarantee that any method described in this
report will be successful in your case.
SHORELINE PROCESSES
The first step in solving an erosion problem is understanding the processes and forces at work.
Without such basic knowledge, any solutions are likely to be misguided and inappropriate. The
following sections present basic information about shoreline processes as a foundation for subsequent
discussion of specific alternatives.
Wave Action
While waves are always present on the open coast, they are not continuous in sheltered waters.
Nonetheless, they are still the major cause of erosion in these areas. Understanding how wave action
influences shoreline processes requires familiarity with several basic characteristics of waves, including
height, period, and length (Figure 1). Wave height is the vertical distance between the wave crest and
trough. Wave period is the time (in seconds) it takes two successive wave crests to pass a stationary
point, and wavelength is the distance between successive crests.
4
Previous Page
