CONCEPTUAL REGIONAL SEDIMENT BUDGET FOR THE U.S. NORTH ATLANTIC COAST
A Conceptual Regional Sediment Budget (CRSB) was developed for coastal beaches, bays and estuaries extending from Virginia to Maine, USA, as part of the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study. Hurricane Sandy made landfall on October 30th, 2012 near Brigantine, New Jersey and generated severe beach erosion and property damage throughout this region. A CRSB is the first step in understanding sediment transport patterns and magnitudes, and aligning dredging and placement operations to take advantage of natural processes and identify sediment deficiencies in a regional system. Optimizing regional sediment management practices in this region is critical to (a) improve beneficial use of dredged sediments; (b) reduce the risks of future storm damage and enhance the environment; and (c) reduce costs in maintaining coastal infrastructure. Data from 1990-2013 indicated an average of 18.7 million cu yd/year was dredged within the North Atlantic region. The CRSB is accessible via a web portal.