Coastal Response to Navigation Structures at Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

Download or read book Coastal Response to Navigation Structures at Murrells Inlet, South Carolina written by Scott L. Douglass and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coastal response to navigation structures at Murrells Inlet, S.C., is documented herein. Data, which results from a postconstruction monitoring program, consist of beach, inlet, and jetty surveys, aerial photography, visual wave observations, wave buoy results, hindcast wave results, and site inspection trips. These data were collected during the period 1978-1982, approximately 5 years after jetty construction began. Beach change and wave data collected indicate that net longshore sand transport at the inlet has not been strongly to the south as previously assumed. The variability of longshore sand transport rate in time and space appears to be very important to coastal response to the jetties. Longshore transport rates are calculated from visual wave observations for 1979-1982. The direction of net transport was northward at all four wave data locations in 1979 and was toward the inlet from both sides during 1980-1982. The only wave data south of the inlet was close enough to be strongly affected by the jetties; therefore, a local reversal in net transport direction could have occurred south of the inlet during 1980-1982. Analysis of hindcast wave data for 1956-1975 indicates that the major southerly growth of the tip of Garden City in the early 1960's may have been in response to an unusually strong period of southerly sand transport. Possible modifications to the navigation project are suggested for further consideration and analysis. Improvements in the Murrells Inlet monitoring data collection program are recommended in light of the conclusions reached in this report. (Author).