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Methodology
Shoreline Structures
Americans have built thousands of shoreline structures in efforts to stave off
coastal erosion. While these structures may protect coastal property, they also
have a negative impact on our beaches.
State Policies
As part of the requirements of Section 306 of the federal Coastal Zone Management
Act to study and assess ways to "control and lessen" the effects of erosion,
state coastal management programs made shoreline structures policy a part of
their coastal management plan. This report describes each state's policy on the
construction, placement, and maintenance of shoreline structures.
Extent of Shoreline Armoring
This report presents information that is available on the location and types
of shoreline structures. This information is used as a means to determine the
extent of shoreline armoring, and in turn measure the effectiveness of state
polices intended to limit the proliferation of shoreline structures. By tallying
the extent of the armored shoreline (i.e. miles of armored shoreline and the
rate of shoreline armoring), Surfrider illustrates the cumulative effects of
coastal structures and educates local and state coastal managers on the magnitude
of this problem. In addition, local citizens are able to see the how many of
their beaches are impacted by armoring.
Threshold criteria for the shoreline structures indicator are:
Information
- 7 to 10 - An accurate, up to date, comprehensive statewide inventory
of shoreline structure location and type, as well as the long term monitoring
of effectiveness and for potential adverse impacts and cumulative effects
- 4 to 6 - An inventory of shoreline structures, but limited in geographic
extent or lacking in detail about structure types
- 1 to 3 - Little to no information about shoreline structures
Status
- 7 to 10 - A low number or a significant decrease in the number of shoreline
structures
- 4 to 6 - Moderate coastal armoring; little to no change in the number of shoreline structures
- 1 to 3 - A high number or a significant increase in the number of shoreline
structures
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