Conditions in the General Area
Conditions in your area can strongly influence selection of an alternative. One of the most
important considerations is the possible effects on downdrift properties. Accretion devices (breakwaters
and groins) trap sand moving along the beach and starve the downdrift shoreline. If this causes damages
to a neighbor, the area behind the breakwater or updrift from the groin must be filled so that no additional
sand is trapped, littoral material bypasses the structure, and no further damages occur downdrift. You
should also consider neighbors updrift from you who may build such structures and potentially damage
your property.
Composition of the shoreline is also important. Accretion devices do not function in areas with
very little sand because they cannot sufficiently calm the water to permit settlement of silts and clays.
Slope and soil composition are also important for determining appropriate plant species.
Climatic and other environmental conditions must also be considered. Vegetation obviously must
be planted where the climate permits survival and growth. Water salinity is also critical for many species
which can only tolerate a narrow band of salinity changes. Salinity and climate are also important for
structural materials. Warm salt water more easily corrodes steel and other metals than cold f resh water.
Warm salt water is also the habitat of marine borers that attack submerged timber structures. on the other
hand, fresh water lakes freeze in the winter, subjecting structures to large forces and abrasion from ice
sheets. In some areas this may require more sturdy construction than would be required for resisting
wave action at the site.
Summary
The factors relating each available alternative to shoreform and shoreline use are summarized on Tables
2 and 3.
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