Beach restoration projects can lead to shoreline accretion, study finds.
A study monitored a beach restoration project at Jupiter Island, Florida, where sand was added to the beach in 1973 and 1974. They studied the beach and offshore profiles, weather conditions, and sediment movement. The results showed that the restored beach changed the direction of sand movement, leading to more sand accumulating updrift. The offshore profile also played a crucial role in the sediment balance. The study found that the current methods for predicting erosion or deposition after beach restoration may not be accurate.