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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20050000CoastalProjectsPart1-1-24.pdf Coastal Projects Harbors & Eroded Shorelines History of Beach Erosion Review Booklet 2005 Prepared By HOLMBERG TECHNOLOGIES, INC 1775 Chadwick Rd. Englewood, Florida 34223 HTI Phone 1-941-475-2666 Fax 1-941-473-2337 US Patented Undercurrent Stabilizers Coastal Project Frankfort July 1993 Frankfort Harbor Work in Progress 1986 South of Harbor near Grace Rd DLH Photoss By Marge Beaver Funded by Raymond Gage Nelson Diebel Marion Beuregard-Bezou Richard H Blackwell Coastal Project Frankfort 1986 Work in Progress Oct. 2000 14 Years Later Photos by DLHolmberg Coastal Project Frankfort 1986 Raymond Gage 1st Installation Oct. 2004 18 Years Later Photos by DL Holmberg Coastal Project Frankfort 1987 Slope work in progress 86 to 89 10-5-2004 18 years after initial 86 work Photos by DL Holmberg Coastal Project Frankfort 1987 Funded By Nelson Diebel & Beuregard-Bezou Oct. 2004 18 years after initial Work Photos by DL Holmberg Coastal Project Frankfort 1986 Oct. 2004 18 years after initial Work Photos by DL Holmberg Coastal Project Leland Oct. 2000 ^ South DLH Photos By Marge Beaver 1986 Work in Progress Photo by DL Holmberg Coastal Project Leland 1986 Project 1 week after completion June 2000 14 Years Later Photos by DL Holmberg Coastal Project Leland 1986 Property owners John Meade & Marjory Mather June 2000 14 Years Later Photos by DL Holmberg Onekama Project State Funded July 1993 Property Owner Michael Beaver Sept. 1987 Trees & land lost to erosion DLH Photoss By Marge Beaver Michigan Academician, Winter 2004 Shore Protection and Coastal Change on the Lake Michigan Shore: Duck Lake, Orchard Beach State Park, and Onekama, Michigan David Barnes Michael S. Kovacich Santos Limesz Western Michigan University GEORANS, Ann Arbor Consultant, St. Joseph ABSTRACT A high-resolution beach profile change-monitoring program was conducted during generally high water in the 1990s at three sites along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in a variety of coastal geological settings to evaluate an experimental shore protection technology called the Undercurrent Stabilizer System™. Shore protection structures at all three sites produced minimal negative impact at and immediately adjacent to the study sites and generally resulted in significant net accretion of near-shore sediment in and around the structures during the study period compared to control sites. Local complexities and variations in coastal processes and conditions (especially local long shore transport, coastal substrates and geological setting, and other existent engineered structures) play a critical role in the specific performance characteristics of these small (property owner) scale shore protection structures in the Great Lakes region. A fundamental factor in the evaluation of coastal change associated with shore protection on eastern Lake Michigan (as well as many other areas of the Great Lakes) is that net transport of sand is offshore, especially during periods of prolonged high water levels. Maintenance of long-term sediment budgets through input of beach-grade sand is dependent on the erosion of upland (bluff dune materials) or nourishment. The use of coastal monitoring results for coastal planning, development, and permitting decisions requires careful consideration of several factors: the intent of the monitoring project in terms of spatial scale and time frame of influence of the structures that are monitored and the appropriateness of extrapolating monitoring results to other areas with substantially different coastal setting. Although the overall results of the study indicate that no substantial negative impact occurs within the experimental structure study sites compared to control sites, we believe that the isolation and protection of back-shore coastal sediments from wave action through the use of any shore protection technology will ultimately result in increasing offshore loss of near-shore sand throughout the eastern Lake Michigan coastal system. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE Hard shore protection is considered with increasing skepticism by coastal management community in the U.S. Permits for shore protection are very critically reviewed by state and federal coastal managers in Michigan, especially shore-perpendicular structures projecting on to "state owned bottom land." Much of lower Michigan Great Lakes shoreline comprise erodible coastal substrates. Periodically high water levels in the recent past have resulted in accelerated bluff/dune recession rates, and future high water level periods will undoubtedly result in a public outcry for "protection." This paper presents the final results of coastal change monitoring studies of small scale experimental shore protection technology marketed as the Undercurrent Stabilizer System™. The studies were conducted in three study areas along the eastern Lake Michigan shore: near Duck Lake State Park north of Muskegon, near Orchard Beach State Park north of Manistee, and North of Onekama, MI (Figure 1). Coastal change monitoring was conducted from 1991 through 1998 (see time line, Table 1). The purpose of these studies is to document the overall impact of the experimental shore protection structures and assess the effectiveness of this approach to Great Lakes coastal engineering practices relative to other shore protection alternatives, including no action. A complete discussion of general study background is presented in Duck Lake Outlet Demonstration Project Undercurrent Stabilizer System™ Shore -Stabilization/Accretion Program Find Report of 1991-1996 Surveys (Barnes 1998; available from the author, see references). Mike Beaver Property Owner I wanted to drop you a note to help keep you informed as to the progress of the Undercurrent Stabilizer System on my families property in Manistee County, Michigan." "It's obvious if you are diligent in observation, that making measurements in other then a daily basis, would provide misleading results. It is also very apparent that the impact of your system is far b eyond the immediate span of the installation itself, in fact, the system seems to act as a means for feeding the down drift zones, but not at the expense of our property in the other direction. We are fortunate in that we have property in both directions to monitor. The constant building and migration of offshore sand formations to the shore is a wonderful natural way to not only load up the system, but also disperse wave energy before it hit's the beach, and provides our family with a wonderful offshore wave zone to `play in'. Prior to the install of your system, the waves used to be very big and would break almost on the beach, but now we have several break points at any given time before the remaining wave energy reaches shore. The waves offshore are big at first and then smaller with each subsequent break point. The waves reaching shore are far smaller then before, even under storm event conditions. The performance of your system is so obvious to us that we are frustrated by reports of experts' discounting the technology without a valid and scientific study. I can only assume those 'experts' are influenced by other then `what's good for nature' causes. I just want you to know that when my family is on the beach enjoying one of nature's true wonders, I often think back to how grim the property looked a few short years ago, and thanks to your hard work and determination, we now enjoy a spectacular recreational environment with plants growing everywhere on the bluff, a beautiful beach for those warm summer night fires, and a place where my family can escape the fast paced day to day grind to `recharge our batteries'.” Mike Beaver Grand Haven, Ml Onekama Project State Funded Oct. 1995 Site cleared of Tree Debris June 2003 Property Owner Michael Beaver 8 Years Later Photos by DL Holmberg Onekama Project State Funded 1995 Shortly After Completion June 2003 8 Years Later Photos by DL Holmberg Manistee Project State Funded 1993 Property Owner (Chub) Lavern Thorsen Nov. 1997 Nov. 1997 ^ North South DLH Photos By Marge Beaver Michigan Academician, Winter 2004 Shore Protection and Coastal Change on the Lake Michigan Shore: Duck Lake, Orchard Beach State Park, and Onekama, Michigan David Barnes Michael S. Kovacich Santos Limesz Western Michigan University GEORANS, Ann Arbor Consultant, St. Joseph ABSTRACT A high-resolution beach profile change-monitoring program was conducted during generally high water in the 1990s at three sites along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in a variety of coastal geological settings to evaluate an experimental shore protection technology called the Undercurrent Stabilizer System™. Shore protection structures at all three sites produced minimal negative impact at and immediately adjacent to the study sites and generally resulted in significant net accretion of near-shore sediment in and around the structures during the study period compared to control sites. Local complexities and variations in coastal processes and conditions (especially local long shore transport, coastal substrates and geological setting, and other existent engineered structures) play a critical role in the specific performance characteristics of these small (property owner) scale shore protection structures in the Great Lakes region. A fundamental factor in the evaluation of coastal change associated with shore protection on eastern Lake Michigan (as well as many other areas of the Great Lakes) is that net transport of sand is offshore, especially during periods of prolonged high water levels. Maintenance of long-term sediment budgets through input of beach-grade sand is dependent on the erosion of upland (bluff dune materials) or nourishment. The use of coastal monitoring results for coastal planning, development, and permitting decisions requires careful consideration of several factors: the intent of the monitoring project in terms of spatial scale and time frame of influence of the structures that are monitored and the appropriateness of extrapolating monitoring results to other areas with substantially different coastal setting. Although the overall results of the study indicate that no substantial negative impact occurs within the experimental structure study sites compared to control sites, we believe that the isolation and protection of back-shore coastal sediments from wave action through the use of any shore protection technology will ultimately result in increasing offshore loss of near-shore sand throughout the eastern Lake Michigan coastal system. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE Hard shore protection is considered with increasing skepticism by coastal management community in the U.S. Permits for shore protection are very critically reviewed by state and federal coastal managers in Michigan, especially shore-perpendicular structures projecting on to "state owned bottom land." Much of lower Michigan Great Lakes shoreline comprise erodible coastal substrates. Periodically high water levels in the recent past have resulted in accelerated bluff/dune recession rates, and future high water level periods will undoubtedly result in a public outcry for "protection." This paper presents the final results of coastal change monitoring studies of small scale experimental shore protection technology marketed as the Undercurrent Stabilizer System™. The studies were conducted in three study areas along the eastern Lake Michigan shore: near Duck Lake State Park north of Muskegon, near Orchard Beach State Park north of Manistee, and North of Onekama, MI (Figure 1). Coastal change monitoring was conducted from 1991 through 1998 (see time line, Table 1). The purpose of these studies is to document the overall impact of the experimental shore protection structures and assess the effectiveness of this approach to Great Lakes coastal engineering practices relative to other shore protection alternatives, including no action. A complete discussion of general study background is presented in Duck Lake Outlet Demonstration Project Undercurrent Stabilizer System™ Shore -Stabilization/Accretion Program Find Report of 1991-1996 Surveys (Barnes 1998; available from the author, see references). Manistee Project State Funded July 1993 July 2005 DLH Photos By Marge Beaver 12 Years Later DLH Photos By Marge Beaver Aug. 1999 Photo by DL Holmberg 6 Years Later Photo by DL Holmb Manistee Project State Funded Sept. 1993 May 2005 12 Years Later Photos by DL Holmberg Manistee Project State Funded Nov.1993 Orchard Beach State Park June 2003 10 years Later Photo by DL Holmberg