THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 25, 1996 TAG: 9601250004
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Another View
SOURCE: By RICHARD J. SEYMOUR
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
What if you went on vacation to the beach and the beach wasn't there? The idea is not as far-fetched as it sounds. Without human intervention, many of our most beautiful and economically valuable beaches eventually will disappear. We must act now to preserve these resources for future generations.
The problem is simply stated: Most beaches erode, just like mountains and valleys. The loss of sand inexorably narrows the distance between the water and human structures. The result is less beach for sunbathing and fishing and greater risk to homes, businesses and people.
For many years the federal government, states and coastal communities have built seawalls, groins and breakwaters to try to preserve beaches. But these structures do not increase the amount of sand; they just control its flow. The only alternative that addresses the root of the problem is adding sand to the beach to make it wider.
Such ``beach nourishment'' projects are often controversial. Opponents describe them as nothing more than building sand castles to protect against an advancing sea. Proponents say that such projects are the best way to protect waterfront communities and the nation's thriving coastal tourism industry.
I recently chaired a National Research Council committee that studied the issue, and we concluded that beach nourishment is an effective way to counter beach erosion if certain conditions are met. Beach nourishment projects need to use state-of-the-art engineering standards. They also need to incorporate a thorough understanding of erosional processes. Beach nourishment may not be possible where erosion rates are high.
The key to a successful project is not necessarily a ready supply of sand and equipment. It is public understanding and involvement. Beach nourishment is an ongoing process. Large storms can destroy beaches in just a few hours, though sand often returns to a beach in the weeks following a storm. Beaches have to be maintained, just like potholes have to be filled and bridges have to be repainted.
The public needs to understand this process. The partial loss of a renourished beach during a storm does not mean that the project failed. On the contrary, if the beach protected structures from damage, the nourishment project probably was a success.
People must have reasonable expectations. State and local sponsors of these projects need to keep the public informed and involved. The public should know about uncertainties in design and outcome of a beach-nourishment project.
Nourishing a beach can be expensive. But the alternative, in loss of property and revenues from tourism, can be much worse. Tourism-and-travel is the largest industry in the United States, and by far the largest employer. In the past year more new jobs were created in this industry than in all manufacturing industries combined. Forty percent of Americans prefer beaches as vacation destinations, and 85 percent of tourism revenues are spent in coastal states.
Most European countries recognize the economic importance of beaches and devote significant resources to beach nourishment. But in this country we take our beaches for granted, spending far less on them than we spend to preserve other natural areas.
As its budget tightens, the federal government is reducing its involvement in beach-nourishment projects. States and localities are going to find themselves assuming more responsibility for beaches. They have to ensure that whatever projects they undertake meet high standards of design and construction. They must clearly spell out the expectations for a project and see that those expectations are understood and accepted by the public.
Greater state and local responsibility for beaches has a number of advantages. These jurisdictions can move much faster without having to meet complex federal constraints. Projects can be tailored to meet local needs, and there will be more opportunity for local input.
The beaches that we have enjoyed should still be there for our children and grandchildren to enjoy. It would be irresponsible to let them slip through our fingers. MEMO: Mr. Seymour is professor of civil engineering at Texas A&M University in
College Station, Texas, and director of the Ocean Engineering Research
Group at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, Calif.
KEYWORDS: BEACH EROSION by CNB