Coastal Erosion Commission: public meetings February March 2015

Transcription

1 Coastal Erosion Commission: public meetings February March 2015

2 Agenda Welcome Introduction of Commission members Overview of Draft Report Authority, charge, and process Coastal processes Shoreline characterization Erosion status and trends Erosion impacts Shoreline management practices Recommendation Public comments Adjourn

3 Commission members Dan Sieger Asst. Secretary for Environment, MA Executive Office of and Environmental Affairs Bruce Carlisle Director, MA Office of Coastal Zone Management Martin Suuberg Commissioner, MA Department of Environmental Protection Jack Murray Commissioner, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Patricia Hughes Town of Brewster Selectman Lisa O Donnell Town of Essex Selectman Doug Packer Town of Newbury Conservation Commission Anne Herbst Town of Hull Conservation Commission Jack Clarke Mass Audubon E. Robert Thieler U.S. Geological Survey Ron Barrett Plum Island Taxpayers Association Paul Schrader Citizen, Town of Sandwich

4 Commission authority and charge Commission created by Massachusetts Legislature - Acts of 2013, Chapter 38, 200, to: Investigate and document levels and effects of coastal erosion Develop strategies and recommendations to reduce, minimize or eliminate impacts on property, infrastructure, public safety, beaches and dunes Specific tasks include: Develop a reasonable assessment of coastal erosion rates Appraise damage since 1978 Estimate damages in next 10 years Evaluate current regulations and laws Review current practices and programs Develop recommendations

5 Commission meetings: Commission process March 27, 2014: review charge, establish and task 3 Working Groups, review related efforts, and plan for public workshops July 31, 2014: review input and information from 5 public workshops, updates from Working Groups, and deliberations October 16, 2014: review and discuss Working Group reports, deliberations on preliminary recommendations and development of draft report November 6, 2014: review, discuss, and revise complete set of recommended strategies and actions, approve report outline December 5, 2014: review complete, preliminary draft report, discuss steps for finalizing draft report and seeking public review and comment

6 Working Groups Commission established 3 Working Groups to provide assistance in completing its charge Information and content provided substantive foundation for deliberations and development of report Science and Technical Working Group Overview of coastal geology and processes, shoreline characterization, assessment of erosion rates Erosion Impacts Working Group Appraise financial damage from 1978 to present, develop estimate of damages in next 10 years Legal and Regulatory Working Group Summarize and evaluate regulations and laws governing materials and means of erosion control

7 Coastal processes Natural forces of wind and waves continuously shape shorelines Erosion, transport, and accretion are continuous, interrelated processes Erosion of coastal banks provide critical sediment to beaches and dunes Where engineered structures are used to stabilize shorelines, natural processes altered, changing amount of sediment available and erosion rates at adjacent areas Decrease ability of coastal landforms to provide storm damage and flood protection

8 Coastal structures inventory Privately and publically owned seawalls, revetments, groins, jetties, and other coastal structures 2013 inventory private structures 2009 inventory; 2015 update for publically owned structures* Location Type Material Height / length Condition ratings * Assets protected * Estimated repair/reconstruction costs*

9 Coastal engineered structures inventory Region Shoreline Length (miles) Private Structure Length (miles) Public Structure Length (miles) Percent Shoreline with Structure North Shore % Boston Harbor % South Shore % Cape Cod & Islands % South Coastal % TOTAL 1, %

10 Shoreline characterization Describe landforms, habitats, and developed lands Identify wetlands, land use/land cover, and coastal structures Classes aggregated into 11 bins for analysis and reporting

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12 Shoreline change Mapping and statistical analysis of shoreline locations Cooperative with USGS Woods Hole Science Center and others Shorelines: ~ 1846, 1887, 1955, 1978, 1994, 2000, ,000 transects along exposed shore (50m intervals) Long-term (~150-year) and short-term (~30-year) change rates Data available on CZM s interactive online mapping tool - MORIS USGS Open-File Report

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19 Town Town sub-region Short-Term Rate Long-Term Rate Mean (ft/yr) Std Dev (ft/yr) Mean (ft/yr) Std Dev (ft/yr) Barnstable NS * Chatham NS * Chilmark * * Dennis CCB * Eastham CCB * * Eastham OCC * * Edgartown * * Falmouth NS * * Ipswich * Nantucket * * Newbury * Orleans CCB * * Orleans OCC * * Rowley * * Salisbury * Scituate * * Truro CCB * Truro OCC * * Wellfleet CCB * * Wellfleet OCC * * West Tisbury * * Westport * * Yarmouth CCB * *

20 Erosion hot spot areas (north to south) Community Location Salisbury Salisbury Beach Newburyport Plum Island Newbury Plum Island Hull Nantasket Beach, Crescent Beach Scituate Glades; Oceanside Drive; Lighthouse Point; Peggotty Beach; Humarock Beach (northern half) Marshfield Fieldston to Brant Rock; Bay Ave Plymouth Saquish; Long Beach (southern end) ; White Horse Beach; Nameloc Heights Sandwich Town Neck Beach Dennis Chapin Beach Nantucket Siasconset Edgartown Wasque Point Oak Bluffs Inkwell Beach Gosnold Barges Beach Westport East Beach

21 Forecasting shoreline change Commission conducted a review of shoreline change forecasting approaches Two types of methods Statistics-based: use linear regression analysis and extrapolate rates forward Process-based: combine historical observations with data from wave processes With support from USGS and CZM, Commission piloted a process-based approach using Kalman filter

22 Assessing financial damage Commission reviewed available sources of damage data, estimates of damages by location, post-storm reports, repair records, and others Among the many sources considered, the Commission relied on 2 with best available, statewide information: FEMA Public and Individual Assistance Disaster Recovery Programs FEMA s National Flood Insurance Program claims data There are significant limitations to use of data in identifying and quantifying erosion damages alone

23 Estimating damage costs FEMA payments for federal disaster declarations for events with coastal impacts (e.g., flooding and erosion) since 1978 total more than $600 M Data show that major events far outweigh costs of more frequent and less damaging events Total costs from FEMA s National Flood Insurance Program claims for all coastal events since 1978 were nearly $370 M Northeast-facing shorelines more susceptible to significant damage on a frequent basis from Northeaster storms

24 Estimating future damage In absence of robust short-term forecasts of shoreline change, Commission sought to identify other sources of information on potential future risk 2013 State Hazard Mitigation Plan includes assessment using hazard analysis model Plan reports more than $7.2 B of building (structure and content) replacement cost value exposed to coastal erosion hazard Estimate considered very high areas potentially vulnerable to erosion

25 Shoreline practices Commission reviewed available shoreline management practices and summarized applicability and relative costs Applicability of each option varies according to nature of risk, local conditions, and resources available Cost-effectiveness is relative and highly site-dependent and all phases must be evaluated Relative Costs (cost/linear foot): Low: <$200 Medium: $200-$500 High: $500-$1,000 Very High: >$1,000

26 Shoreline Management Technique Dune Nourishment Beach Nourishment Nearshore Berm Bioengineering Coastal Banks Erosion Control Vegetation Sand Fencing Salt Marsh Creation Sand By-Pass Sand Back-Pass Cobble Berm/Dune Environment Low - High Low - High Low High Low - High Low - High Low - High Relative Costs Design and Average Annual Construction Permitting Maintenance Enhancements to the Natural System Low Low Low None Low-Medium Low - High Low-Medium None Low-Medium Low-Medium Low-Medium None Medium High Low Medium Low - Medium Low Low Low Low None Low Low Low Low Low Low High Low - Medium Low - Medium None Low - High Low High Low High Low Medium Low - Medium Low None Medium High Low Medium Low None Low High Low -Medium Low- Medium None Average Annual Mitigation

27 Shoreline Management Technique Dike/Levee Rock Revetment Toe Protection Revetment Full Height Geotextile Tubes Relative Costs Environment Design and Average Annual Average Annual Construction Permitting Maintenance Mitigation Shore Parallel Coastal Engineered Structures Low - High Medium High Medium - High Low Low Low - High Medium High High Low Low - Medium Low - High High - Very High Very High Low Medium Low - High Very High High Medium - High Medium Gabions Low High Very High High Medium Low Seawall Low - High High - Very High Very High Low Medium - High Bulkhead Low High Very High High Low Low Hybrid Options Perched Beach Low Medium-High Medium-High Low None Sand-Filled Coir Low High Envelopes Low Medium Low Medium Medium-High Low

28 Shoreline Management Technique Nearshore Breakwater Offshore Breakwater Relocate Buildings Relocate Roads &Infrastructure Elevate Existing Buildings Groin Jetty Environment Low- High Low - High Low - High Low - High Low - High Low - High Low - High Design and Permitting Construction Relative Costs Average Annual Maintenance Nearshore and Offshore Coastal Engineered Structures Medium High High Very High Low Average Annual Mitigation Low Very High Very High Low None Adapting Existing Buildings and Infrastructure Low Very High None None Low Very High None None Low Very High Low None Shore Perpendicular Coastal Engineered Structures Very High Very High Low Low - High Very High Very High Low Low - High

29 Commission DRAFT Recommendations Commission s recommendations: 7 strategies with specific actions to advance them Across strategies, several high-level themes identified: Effects of climate change and sea level rise must be factored into planning, management efforts, project design, and regulatory review Support for sensible use of pilot projects to advance new and creative solutions and encourage innovation Importance of improving understanding of coastal and nearshore sediment dynamics Strengthening provisions to require clean, compatible sediment from navigation projects be placed on public beaches

30 Science, Data, and Information Strategy #1 - Increase understanding of coastal and nearshore sediment dynamics, including the effects of man-made, engineered structures, to inform potential management actions and other responses to coastal erosion Action 1-A: Increase observational capabilities for waves, water levels, and coastal response. Action 1-B: Advance sediment transport mapping and modeling to develop regional sediment budgets. Action 1-C: Continue to assess long-term and cumulative effects of shoreline management techniques and practices, including impacts to adjacent properties and natural resources (physical and biological)

31 Science, Data, and Information Strategy #2 - Enhance available information base on type, extent, impacts and costs of coastal erosion on public infrastructure, private property, and natural resources to improve the basis for decision making Action 2-A: Improve the ability to isolate damage due to coastal erosion from other hazards (e.g., flooding, wind) Action 2-B: Establish inter-agency agreements with federal agencies (e.g., FEMA, NOAA/NWS, Army Corps, USGS) to facilitate timely collection of perishable data on poststorm damage and impacts Action 2-C: Develop a comprehensive economic valuation of Massachusetts beaches; including information at community, regional, and state level

32 Science, Data, and Information Strategy #3 - Improve mapping and identification of coastal high hazard areas to inform managers, propertyowners, local officials and the public Action 3-A: Develop estimates of future shoreline change by assessing use of approaches that combine modelderived and observed positions of shoreline change Action 3-B: Improve ability to assess vulnerability of sites by characterizing geologic and geographic variables that are not currently accounted for in inundation maps Action 3-C: Produce comprehensive online atlas of potential flood inundation areas from a range of scenarios, including different timescales and intensities

33 Legal and Policy Strategy #4 - Reduce and minimize the impacts of erosion (and flooding) on property, infrastructure, and natural resources by siting new development and substantial re-development away from high hazard areas and incorporating best practices in projects Action 4-A: Evaluate the applicability, benefits, concerns and legal authority for coastal hazard area setbacks Action 4-B: Develop and promulgate performance standards for Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage under the state Wetlands Protection Act Action 4-C: Adopt the 2015 International Building Codes for structures in floodplains, including freeboard requirements for buildings in A zones

34 Legal and Policy Strategy #4 - Reduce and minimize the impacts of erosion (and flooding) on property, infrastructure, and natural resources by siting new development and substantial re-development away from high hazard areas and incorporating best practices in projects (cont.) Action 4-D: Incorporate assessment of sea level rise impacts during regulatory review of coastal projects and evaluate alternatives that eliminate/reduce impacts Action 4-E: Finalize and release guidance document Applying the Massachusetts Coastal Wetlands Regulations A Practical Guide for Conservation Commissions to Protect the Storm Damage Prevention and Flood Control Functions of Coastal Resource Areas

35 Legal and Policy Strategy #5 - Improve the use of sediment resources for beach and dune nourishment and restoration Action 5-A: Advance the evaluation and assessment of the use of offshore sand resources for beach and dune nourishment and restoration within the context of the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan Action 5-B: Strengthen criteria and implementation of existing standards in MassDEP Chapter 91 Waterways regulations and the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan to ensure that sediments dredged from state tidelands are public trust resources and use for beach nourishment is in the public interest

36 Legal and Policy Strategy #5 - Improve the use of sediment resources for beach and dune nourishment and restoration (cont.) Action 5-C: Support advancement of top policy position in joint CSO and ASBPA Call for the Improved Management of America s Beaches for national policy to ensure that beach-compatible dredged materials are beneficially used Action 5-D: Explore and implement regional dredging programs to allow for greater efficiencies and costeffectiveness Action 5-E: Improve effectiveness of beach nourishment projects by reviewing and potentially adjusting standards and policies that restrict placement of sand below mean high water on the nourished beach

37 Management, Assistance, and Outreach Strategy #6 - Support the implementation and study of pilot projects for innovative solutions and the encouragement of learning-by-doing and experimentation in shoreline management approaches Action 6-A: Implement new testing and evaluation protocols for the review of pilot projects for shoreline protection, as allowed by the revised WPA regulations Action 6-B: Create a standing Technical Review Committee to provide impartial, external review of proposed pilot technologies/projects

38 Management, Assistance, and Outreach Strategy #7 - Maintain and expand technical and financial assistance and communication and outreach to communities to support local efforts to address the challenges of erosion, flooding, storms, sea level rise, and other climate change impacts Action 7-A: Continue and expand the new Coastal Community Resilience and Green Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience grants, that provide funds to cities and towns to increase awareness of hazards and risks, assess vulnerabilities, identify and implement measures to increase community resilience, and implement natural and nonstructural approaches, called green infrastructure

39 Management, Assistance, and Outreach Strategy #7 - Maintain and expand technical and financial assistance and communication and outreach to communities to support local efforts to address the challenges of erosion, flooding, storms, sea level rise, and other climate change impacts (cont.) Action 7-B: Support implementation of voluntary program that facilitates buy-back of high hazard or stormdamaged properties, as supported by cost/benefit analyses and other assessments. Action 7-C: Increase public awareness of coastal processes, storm events, and risks associated with development on/near coastal shorelines and floodplains; promote understanding and adoption of best practices

40 Public meetings and comment Commission s report released January 7, 2015 Available for 90-day public comment period and 5 regional public hearings Comments due 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 7, 2015 To submit comments via , please send to: or erosion-commission@state.ma.us Coastal Erosion Commission c/o Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management ATTN: Coastal Erosion Commission Report 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800 Boston, MA 02114

41 Coastal Erosion Commission: