Stevens CERL aids in beach replenishment project
Melissa Wiegand
Issue date: 2/13/09 Section: Campus News
The US Army Corps' relocation of sand from a shoal in Sandy Hook to Long Branch began in early December, 2008. They completed the transfer in the first week of February. "About 700,000 cubic yards of sand - the equivalent of 70,000 dump truck loads - were moved to the Long Branch shoreline," stated Dr. Herrington. He said that it only cost about $5.6 million to transport the sand. When asked about the environmental impact of the dredging, Herrington insisted that "the shoal in Sandy Hook builds up quickly and is often dredged in order to allow ships to sail through the region" and that the impact on the ecosystem there is short-lived, because the species affected by the dredging are able to recover within a year or two.
In addition to designing the shape of the new shoreline, the CERL will be responsible for monitoring the erosion, creation of sandbars, and wave dynamics along the shore. The research group will use wave runners customized with GPS and echolocation systems to keep track of the changes along the beach. These "Dynamic Underwater Coastal Kinematic Surveying" (DUCKS) systems will be able to survey the coast much more efficiently than the swimmers who used to dive up to 15 feet beneath the surface with surveying equipment. Herrington says the DUCKS will take readings along 45 survey lines for about 18 months, or "until less than 20 percent of the initial volume of sand in the feeder beach remains." They will also set up cameras on the beach, which will be used to assess the number of surfers using the beach, and the quality of the waves. In the fall of 2009, Herrington hopes to expand the Long Branch project by building a submerged artificial reef offshore.
Since the development of the Coastal Protection Technical Assistance Service (CPTAS) at the Institute, Stevens has been involved with several beach replenishment projects. CPTAS was created to both inform and counsel New Jersey citizens and government officials about coastal protection technology. Through this program, faculty and students from Stevens often serve as technical engineering consultants for the state of New Jersey.
In addition to designing the shape of the new shoreline, the CERL will be responsible for monitoring the erosion, creation of sandbars, and wave dynamics along the shore. The research group will use wave runners customized with GPS and echolocation systems to keep track of the changes along the beach. These "Dynamic Underwater Coastal Kinematic Surveying" (DUCKS) systems will be able to survey the coast much more efficiently than the swimmers who used to dive up to 15 feet beneath the surface with surveying equipment. Herrington says the DUCKS will take readings along 45 survey lines for about 18 months, or "until less than 20 percent of the initial volume of sand in the feeder beach remains." They will also set up cameras on the beach, which will be used to assess the number of surfers using the beach, and the quality of the waves. In the fall of 2009, Herrington hopes to expand the Long Branch project by building a submerged artificial reef offshore.
Since the development of the Coastal Protection Technical Assistance Service (CPTAS) at the Institute, Stevens has been involved with several beach replenishment projects. CPTAS was created to both inform and counsel New Jersey citizens and government officials about coastal protection technology. Through this program, faculty and students from Stevens often serve as technical engineering consultants for the state of New Jersey.