CSE projects are designed to last a decade or more with minimal maintenance. Beach nourishment is sustainable and cost-effective along many developed coasts simply because the rate of sand loss is relatively low and the cost of sand replacement is much less than the cost of property abandonment or relocation.
Beach maintenance, to be successful, takes a sustained effort and necessarily involves many property owners. The beach is often a community’s most valuable asset. Like roads and other infrastructure, it should be maintained as long as the cost is commensurate with its value and much less than the alternatives.
Community planning in the USA deals in decadal to century time frames, not geologic time. CSE projects focus squarely on practical time scales for planning that parallel our life spans.
The addition of sand on the beach helps sustain turtle nesting habitat, allows dunes to grow, increases storm protection and maintains recreational opportunities. Today’s ocean-going dredges can restore long sections of beaches in a few months then leave the site to respond naturally to waves and tides. The best nourishment projects are indistinguishable from natural beaches by the next season.
CSE provides turn-key design services including critical field data collection, numerical modeling, construction administration and project monitoring. Our professionals offer decades of experience and a proven success record of cost-effective and sustainable projects.
