FIRST YEAR PERFORMANCE OF EIGHT BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECTS, WEST-CENTRAL FLORIDA

The first year performance of eight adjacent beach nourishment projects along the west-central Florida coast was investigated based on an intensive monitoring program. The monitoring program includes monthly beach-profile surveys to roughly 3-m water depth, including post-nourishment and 1-year post-nourishment offshore surveys. Monitoring began immediately following the completion of construction. Numerous profiles spaced at 300 m intervals were surveyed.

Overall, the initial performance of the nourishment projects was strongly influenced by high-energy events. Two tropical storms and a series of winter storms influenced the study area during this year and contributed to a large portion of the beach change during the first year. Tropical storm Alberto, which impacted the area several weeks after nourishment construction, induced significant morphologic change. The detailed data allow quantitative assessment of beach changes caused by longshore and cross-shore sediment transport.

Different nourishment projects performed differently influenced by regional trends of sediment supply and transport, sediment grain size, relative wave energy, longshore extent of the nourishment projects, and beach-profile shape.