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Georgia Ratings
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Indicator Type |
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Info |
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Status |
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Beach Access |
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6
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7 |
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Water Quality |
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6 |
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6 |
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Beach Erosion |
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4 |
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- |
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Erosion Response |
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- |
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5 |
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Beach Fill |
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4 |
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- |
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Shoreline Structures |
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4 |
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6 |
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Beach Ecology |
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6 |
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- |
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Surfing Areas |
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3 |
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5 |
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Website |
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6 |
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- |
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Georgia Beach Erosion
Erosion Data
Very little erosion data was found on the DNR Web site.
Georgia's beaches are located on the seaward side of barrier islands, of which only four are readily accessible by automobile (Tybee Island, St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and Jekyll Island). These four barrier islands contain about 19 miles of ocean beaches. Due to their automobile accessibility, these four barrier islands are also Georgia's only islands where development has substantially impacted the beach's natural sand-sharing system and dynamic sand dune fields. Coastal Georgia's less accessible barrier islands have retained their dynamic sand dune fields and natural cycle of beach erosion and accretion.
Some fairly severe erosion in tidal rivers has been observed, along the Ogeechee River at seven-mile bend and along the Crooked River at Elliott's Bluff, for example. Erosion and sedimentation control is a primary consideration in the evaluation of all permit applications for activities within the jurisdiction of the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act. Shoreline erosion of beaches in coastal Georgia is of paramount concern on only about 19 miles out of the total 88 miles of beach.
The Tybee Island Beach Task Force Committee was formed to investigate new technologies in cooperation with The Ecological Services of DNR and the Savannah District Corps of Engineers, and as a result of their research, to make recommendations to the City Council regarding beach erosion control. The task force was also formed to lobby for funding at the state, county and federal levels, sometimes hosting meetings of appropriate legislative and administrative groups, and giving presentations regarding Tybee's particular beach erosion control concerns.
The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey has generated a comprehensive database of digital vector shorelines and shoreline change rates for the U.S. Southeast Atlantic Coast (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina). These data were compiled as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1326/
The South Carolina-Georgia Coastal Erosion Study is a collaborative effort between researchers from the USGS, CCU, USC, College of Charleston, and the Sea Grant Consortium aimed at understanding the process of coastal erosion and the factors that affect erosion rates along the South Carolina and Georgia coasts. A Web site has been developed to present the findings of the Coastal Erosion Study to the general public including online maps of the SC/GA coasts, beach cameras, and a listing of the equipment used to collect data for the Coastal Erosion Study. Also see http://camelot.coastal.edu/.
The Heinz Center’s Evaluation of Erosion Hazards, conducted for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, studied the causes of coastal erosion hazards and proposed a variety of national and regional responses. The study, published in April 2000, concentrates on the economic impacts of erosion response policies and the cost of erosion itself to homeowners, businesses, and governmental entities. The report states that average erosion rates along the Georgia coastline are 1-2 ft/year.
Georgia Sea Grant is another source of information on beach erosion and coastal hazards issues in Georgia.
http://alpha.marsci.uga.edu/gaseagrant/
NOAA recently launched the NOAA Shoreline Web site. The site is a comprehensive guide to
national shoreline data and terms and is the first site to allow vector
shoreline data from NOAA and other federal agencies to be conveniently
accessed and compared in one place. Supporting context is also included
via frequently asked questions, common uses of shoreline data, shoreline
terms, and references. Many NOAA branches and offices have a stake in
developing shoreline data, but this is the first-ever NOAA Web site to
provide access to all NOAA shorelines, plus data from other federal
agencies. The site is a culmination of efforts of NOAA and several
offices within NOS (including NOAA’s Coastal Services Center, National
Geodetic Survey, Office of Coast Survey, Special Projects Office, and
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management) and other federal
agencies to provide coastal resource managers with accurate and useful
shoreline data. For more information, contact Tara Miller (tara.miller@noaa.gov).
Erosion Contact Info
Jill C. Huntington
Coastal Management Specialist
GA DNR/Coastal Management Program
One Conservation Way, Suite 300
Brunswick, GA 31520
Email: jill_huntington@dnr.state.ga.us
Hazard Avoidance Policies/Erosion Response
See Erosion Response section.
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