Why Are Fences Placed Along Beaches?

Overview of Coastal Barrier Measures

• Fences reduce local wind speed.
• Trapping sand encourages dune deposition.
• Fences act as barriers to wave attack, reducing erosion from waves.

Challenges and Solutions

• One issue with beach dredging is that it does not stop erosion.
• Dredging also destroys habitat by disturbing ocean flora and fauna.
• Beach nourishment replaces eroded sediment.

Coastal Protection Techniques

• Narrow beaches along cliffs slow erosion by reducing direct wave attack.
• Wave-cut platforms form at cliff bases.
• Remnants on platforms called sea stacks provide spectacular coastal landforms.

Various Coastal Structures

• SandMats, best used from shore into water, are for shorelines and lake bottoms.
• Wooden groynes limit sediment movement along shorelines.

Protective Measures on Beaches

• Fences on beaches collect wind-blown sand, helping dunes grow instead of eroding.
• Fencing controls access and reduces dune trampling.

Beach Conservation Efforts

• Miami Beach, Florida was replenished over 1976-1981 for $86 million, revitalizing the area and widening the previously narrow beach.
• The US has spent $9 billion since 1923 rebuilding beaches.

Management of Endangered Species

• Predator enclosures quickly built by rangers protect piping plovers from larger predators on North Carolina beaches.