Category Archives: Education

Coastal Engineering Workshop

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With Dr. David Revell

Sponsored by Ventura County Watershed protection District & BEACON

Part 1 Sources of Sand & Sediment

Part 2 Flood Mapping & Departmental Cooperation

Part 3 Tidal & Wind Effects on Waves & Swells

Part 4 Sand Retention vs. Erosion

Part 5 Coastal Armoring vs. Natural Barriers

Part 6 Coastal Hazard Modeling

Part 7 Sea Level Rise Impacts on Coastal Communities

Part 8 Coastal Flooding Risks & Retreat Strategies

Part 9 Adaptation Strategies for Coastal Systems

Revell Coastal Workshop 6 min Wrap Up and Q&A

Beach Nourishment Response at Carpinteria Beach & Goleta Beach

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Sequence of Events

  • Thomas Fire – December 2017
  • Montecito Debris Flows – January 9, 2018
  • Immediate Aftermath – January thru March 2018
    • Channel & street sediments taken to Carpinteria & Goleta Beaches
    • Debris basin sediments taken to Buellton & Santa Paula landfills
    • Private property sediments remained in place

Carpinteria Beach – 12 January 2018
Carpinteria Beach – 12 April 2018
Carpinteria Beach – 10 September 2018
Carpinteria Beach – Summary

  • 10 January 2018 – Nourishment begins
  • 9 February 2018 – Nourishment ends – 28,000 cy of sediment placed
  • March 2018 – Beach re-opened for swimming
  • Summer 2018 – Sandy beach w/ no sign of debris sediments

Goleta Beach – 12 January 2018
Goleta Beach – 19 March 2018
Goleta Beach – 3 September 2018
Goleta Beach – 2 January 2019
Goleta Beach – Summary

  • 11 January 2018 – Nourishment begins
  • 20 February 2018 – Nourishment ends – 40,000 cy of sediment placed
  • 6 July 2018 – Beach re-opened for swimming
  • Summer of 2018 – Sandy beach w/ large cobble deposit
  • January 2019 – Sandy beach w/ no sign of debris sediments

Lessons Learned

  • Carpinteria Beach recovered more quickly due to larger waves and sandier sediments
  • Goleta Beach recovered more slowly due to smaller waves, larger volume of sediment and more cobbles
  • The sorting area at Ventura Fair Grounds was important for dealing with the debris flow sediments
  • Pre-existing funding and environmental permits are critical for taking full advantage of opportunistic sediment sources

(Powerpont presentation to BEACON Board Members during regularly scheduled meeting, Friday, January 18, 2019)

King Tides – A Brief Introduction

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What are King Tides?

  • Highest annual tide events that occur when there is an alignment in the gravitational attractions of the sun, the moon and the earth wile at the same time the moon and the sun are at their closest approaches to the earth
  • Occur infrequently but on a regular, predictable basis
  • Increase the potential for coastal flooding and damage
  • Help to illustrate the impact of future sea level rise

Example: Refugio Beach
Example: Isla Vista
Example: Goleta Slough
Example: East Beach – Santa Barbara
Example: Rock Beach – Carpinteria
Example: Emma Wood State Beach
Example: C Street – Ventura
The Bigger Picture – Climate Change
Sea Level Rise Projections
(Powerpoint presentation to BEACON Board Members during regularly schedule meeting, Friday, January 18, 2019)

 

King Tides 2019

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King Tides are predictable, larger than normal high tide events that occur a few times a year when the moon is closest to the earth. A more scientific name is perigean spring tides. King Tides are interesting because they help to illustrate what more normal high tide events will look like in the future as sea level rise becomes more pronounced.

Sand Movement

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Sandshed: The Sand Is on the Move!

There is a constant flow of sand from the land into the ocean. Watershed run-off and bluff and hillside erosion bring sand to the beach. Sand grains travel southward down the coast, while finer particles of sediment are carried and deposited further out to sea.

Along the way, sand is washed ashore, temporarily resting on beaches, until it is re-suspended in the ocean by wave action or wind. The one-way journey down the coast ends when sand is blown inland forming sand dunes, or more commonly, when it flows into a submarine canyon. This deep underwater feature is essentially the dead end of a littoral cell, where sand is deposited for the long-term and, for practical purposes, lost.

Littoral Cell

A littoral cell is a distinct area of the coastline where sand enters the ocean, flows down the coast, and then is removed from the system. Permanent loss of sand occurs at the end of the littoral cell when it flows into a submarine canyon or, less frequently, when it accumulates on shore as part of a sand dune. The amount of sand available to…

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Credit:  Dave Hubbard and UCSB Sea Grant Team