estc 2011 presentation by scott liggett, beach renourishment
TRANSCRIPT
This presentation was presented at the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2011 (ESTC 2011), held in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA, from September 19th-21st. Organized by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), the
ESTC is a unique annual conference providing practical solutions to advance sustainability goals for the tourism industry.
Learn more about the ESTC: http://www.ecotourismconference.org ESTC on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ESTC_Tourism
ESTC on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESTC.Tourism
The International Ecotourism Society | web www.ecotourism.org email [email protected] | tel +1 202 506 5033
BEACH RENOURISHMENT & MARINE ENVIRONMENT
Scott P. Liggett, [email protected]
Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism ConferenceSeptember 19-21, 2011 – Hilton Head Island, SC
Presentation Overview
• Town’s Beach Management Program– Overview– Project History– Funding– Port Royal Sound Shoreline Restoration and
Stabilization Project
Town of Hilton Head Island, SC
54 square miles
13 miles of beach
Population – 40,000 (approx.)
Visitors 2,235,000 annually
56 miles of pathways
Incorporated in 1983
Approximately 1200 acres of Town Property – 144 Parcels
8 beach access parks
Island’s Sandy Shorelines
Port Royal Sound (Beach and Inlet Processes)
Atlantic Coast (Beach Processes)
South Beach (Beach and Inlet Processes)
Early Planning
• Incorporated Town immediately identified the need for a beach management strategy
• 1986 - Shore Protection Task Group was created
• Semi-annual beach monitoring initiated
Mid-1980 Beach Conditions/Issues
• Areas of Highly Erosional Shoreline
• Chronic Sediment Deficit (northern 2/3)
• Need for Comprehensive Protection of Upland
• Minimal Dry Beach (over 9,000 feet of oceanfront armoring)
• Potential impacts from Port Royal Sound Federal Navigation Project
Typical Pre-Project Conditions - North Forest Beach
Typical Pre-Project Conditions - The Folly
(1995)
Typical Pre-Project Conditions – Port Royal Sound
1995
Alternatives for Long-Term Strategy (1986)
• No Action
• Encourage Individuals to Protect Themselves (walls, limited sand placement, etc.)
• Restore and Maintain Entire Beach System with Comprehensive Approach
(Initial Program Philosophy)
Program Foundation• Comprehensive Beach Restoration
• Comprehensive Beach Monitoring
• Strategic use of shore-stabilizing structures to improve performance/increase longevity of beach nourishment
• Use of near-island sand sources, as available
• Attempt to control seaward advancement of development and protect beach/dune resources
Benefits of Comprehensive Beach Management Program
• Recreational – Provides/maintains recreational amenity for tourists and residents
• Storm/Erosion Protection – Provides/maintains buffer between ocean and upland
• Environmental – Maintain beach habitat for turtles, birds, etc.
• FEMA Benefits - Increase in “open space”
Beach Monitoring
Island-wide Beach Monitoring Program• 51 Beach Monitoring Stations (32 original)
• Semi-annual survey data dating back to 1986
• Annual Aerial Photography
Overall Beach Conditions• Shoreline Position Change Rates• Beach volume status/change rates
Comprehensive Project Planning
Hilton Head IslandBeach Monitoring Stations
August 20, 2008
Hilton Head IslandBeach Fill Project History
1990 - Initial Restoration of Atlantic Shorefront
1997 - Renourishment of Atlantic Shorefront - Channel Relocation (Port Royal Plantation) - Restoration of a Portion of the Port Royal Shoreline
- Terminal Groin at the Folly
1999 - South Beach Emergency Beach Fill Project
2006/07 – Renourishment of Atlantic Shorefront- Renourishment of Port Royal Plantation- Renourishment of South Beach- Restoration of Fish Haul/Spa- Six Detached Breakwaters at the Folly
Project History
1990 – Atlantic Restoration
1997 – Atlantic Renourishment/Port Royal Restoration / Channel Relocation
1999 – South Beach Restoration/220,000 cy
2006/07-Atlantic-Port Royal-South Beach Renourishment / Fish Haul Restoration
Program Summary
• Approximately 7.5 MCY placed
• Approximately 5.5 MCY remain
• Atlantic shorefront is ~ 200 wider, on average, than pre-1990 conditions
• Construction Cost To-Date: ~$40 Million
Program Performance
• Highly Successful Program; performance of nourishment
projects have far exceeded program expectations
• Island-wide improvement in beach and dune conditions
• Significant increase in access for recreational users/public
• Reliable buffer between ocean and upland
• Improved Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat
• Critical Habitat Designation – Piping Plover
Cumulative Beach Volume ChangeHilton Head Island Beach Nourishment – Atlantic Ocean Project Shoreline
1986-201119
86
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Year
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
Beac
h Vo
lume
(milli
ons
of cy
)re
lativ
e to
the
Febr
uary
1990
(pre
-pro
ject)
cond
ition
-166,400 cy/yrloss rate
-100,100 cy/yrloss rate
1990 Pre-ProjectPerformance Prediction-164,000 cy/yr loss rate
-37,200 cy/yr(4.1 years)
1990
Pro
ject
1997
Pro
ject
2006
/07
Proje
ct
Benefits of Program
2006 – Project Completion
North Forest Beach
Palmetto Dunes
Pre-1990ShorelineLocation
1989
2001
Benefits of Program
1989
2001
Benefits of Program
Return on InvestmentRecent inquiry / criticism:
“beach renourishment is expensive”
2008 appraised valuations * ~ $2.8 Billion
2011 appraised valuations * ~ $3.9 Billion
2010 tax revenue ~ $31.5 Million
*First row only, not including golf courses which may have ocean frontage but are primarily large inland tracts of land
Beach Preservation Fee(Established in 1993)
• 2% accommodation tax on overnight, short-term (less than 90 days) lodging
• Preservation, maintenance, nourishment, renourishment, and improvement to the beaches and facilities related thereto
• Generates approximately $4.4 M annually
Other Typical Historic Beach Preservation Fee Expenditures
• Land Acquisition (open space preservation)
• Park Development• Support Facilities (Public Works)
• Natural Resources (sea turtles, plovers, dune plantings, etc.)
• General Fund Transfer (prorated portions of salaries, etc.)
• Establish Fund Balance ($13 million)
To-date, the Town has:
• Purchased beachfront land at a cost of approximately $20,000,000
• Constructed 8 beach parks providing 1401 parking spaces and pedestrian access to the beach
• Incurred $400,000 annual maintenance costs• Constructed 3 large-scale restoration/ renourishment
projects (including the use of structures) placing more than 7 million cubic yards of sand at a total cost of ~$40,000,000 (1986-present)
Joiner Bank History
Recent Shoreline Change Conditions at ‘The Heel”
Port Royal Beach Restoration and Stabilization Project
Directive of Council – Aug. 2006
Multi-beam high resolution bathymetric survey – Oct. 2007 – Aug. 2008
Seismic sub-bottom survey
North Island Shoreline Change Study – Aug. 2008 (update to 1994 investigation)
Vibracores – Conducted Dec. 2008 – Jan. 2009
Remote Sensing Survey – Apr. 2009
Wave refraction/diffraction Modeling – August 2009
Biological Assessment – Piping Plover Critical Habitat – August 2009
Project Permit Application – Made Sept 16, 2009, issued December 2, 2010
Proposed Plan of Action toAddress Heel Shoreline Erosion
• Beach Nourishment with Shore Stabilizing Structure
• Stabilize High Rate of Erosion at Heel and Incorporate Area into Future Renourishment Projects
Areas Most Likely to Need Future Nourishment
• Heel Shoreline
• North Forest Beach/Palmetto Dunes Shoreline
Future Program
Approach• A paradigm shift in the beach management program
• The future objectives should focus on maintaining conditions rather than striving to continually widen the beach
• Recent observations suggest that smaller projects in the future may be sufficient to maintain beach conditions
• Following completion of the Port Royal Shoreline Restoration and Stabilization Project in 2011, island-wide periodic nourishment projects may only need to be about 60 percent of the size of the past projects
Thank You
BEACH RENOURISHMENT & MARINE ENVIRONMENT
Scott P. Liggett, [email protected]
Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism ConferenceSeptember 19-21, 2011 – Hilton Head Island, SC