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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.
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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