Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

Expand Coastal Engineering Inventory to Provide Evaluations of Projects Potentially Impacting Natural Sediment Transport Processes

Project ID: J8W07110009

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: Oregon State University

Fiscal Year: 2011

Initial Funding: $110,895

Total Funding: $180,001

Project Type: Technical Assistance

Project Disciplines: Physical

National Park: National Projects

Principal Investigator: Ruggiero, Peter

Agreement Technical Representative: Beavers, Rebecca

Abstract: The Coastal Engineering Inventory project aims to inventory, catalog and map coastal engineering projects in and adjacent to coastal units of the National Park Service (NPS). The goal is to develop a greater understanding of the extent of coastal engineering modification along our coast and provide information to allow resource managers to make better decisions about how to preserve NPS resources and allow for visitor use and recreation. This project will build upon an existing pilot study and GIS database that was completed for ten coastal parks. This collaborative project will expand the coastal engineering inventory to include an evaluation of coastal engineering impacts on NPS resources by developing a prioritized list of the coastal engineering projects within a particular park that have the highest potential to impact natural sediment transport processes. The project scope includes an assessment of four coastal parks: Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CAHA), Gateway National Recreation Area (GATE), Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GOGA), and Olympic National Park (OLYM). The prioritized projects will be evaluated using simple models and analysis procedures to quantify their relative impacts under both current conditions and a range of potential future conditions associated with climate change scenarios (e.g., sea level rise, potential changes in storminess). Benefits include an improved understanding of the past modification that has occurred in several coastal national parks. Many national seashores and coastal national parks receive a substantial number of visitors annually to enjoy the recreational opportunities, yet often visitors are unaware of how structures that are located within and adjacent to parks have altered the natural processes. The information developed through this study will help the public to understand how coastal engineering projects may have impacted natural sediment transport processes, resulting in both positive and negative impacts to park resources.

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