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