Draft No. 2, 6-18-02

BEACH EROSION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OF 6-17-02
Of The Stakeholders Evaluation Group

Attendees:

  Bill Bailey Mallory Pearce
  Bo Ellis John Robinette
  Bill Farmer Freda Rutherford
  Larry Keegan Chris Schuberth
  Mary McCracken
   
         The primary purposes of the meeting were to determine the status of authorized studies, and to explore whether or not additional studies are needed. The results of the meeting are as follows:
 
1. The basic Beach Erosion Study is near completion. Review comments of the preliminary final report draft have been received from Clark Alexander and Eric Olsen, and ATM is addressing their comments. It is anticipated that the final report will be available this fall.
 
2. The Economic Analysis of Utilizing O & M Dredged Materials for Beneficial Use is underway. Approximately 200 grab samples of sediment from the channel were obtained and analyzed, with the results that the material is approximately 80% sand and 20% fines. Modeling effort is underway to explore the speed and direction of material movement if placed in near-channel disposal areas, as well as possible environmental impacts such as turbidity on living creatures. The thrust of the study is to determine if there would be benefits to the Federal Beach Erosion Control Project on Tybee or other Federal projects as a result of changing disposal of O & M dredged materials to beneficial uses. Potential benefits include wave attenuation and reduced erosional forces, as well as indirect beach renourishment. Completion of the study is anticipated to be in late next year in 2003.
 
3. The study addressing Sand Grain Size Criteria For Alternate Placement has not been funded yet. A 75% coarse grain size criteria has been used for placement of dredged material on shorelines, and the study will analyze this criteria as well as applicable criteria for near-shore placement and beyond-shoreline placement as sand dunes. Data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service studies on other barrier islands will be used in this study, as well as results of the O & M Material Economic Analysis Study.
 
4. The Economic Analysis of Utilizing Harbor Deepening Dredged Materials for Beneficial Use has not been funded yet. Results of the O & M Material Economic Analysis Study will be utilized in this study. The quality of core samples taken for evaluation of the usage of new work dredged material and those taken for other studies will also be used.
 
5. It was indicated that the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is studying turtle nesting issues on the Georgia barrier islands, and their findings will be applicable in the evaluation of potential impacts associated with harbor deepening projects as well as in establishing appropriate coarse/fine sand grain size criteria for placement of dredged materials on or near shorelines.
 
6. It was indicated that the Tybee Island Beach Task Force is involved in 15 projects to implement a City Council approved Long Range Beach Management Plan. Freda Rutherford will e-mail a listing of these 15 projects to other members of the Beach Erosion Committee, and a determination will be made if there are any interconnections among the 15 projects and areas of concern with the Harbor Expansion Project. At present, three of these projects are underway, namely:    

  1. Possible notching of the southern groin to influence sand flow to the Back River.

  1. North Beach Dune Enhancement by adding approximately 20,000 cubic yards of sand to the sand dunes in areas that have recently experienced high erosion of the shoreline and dunes. The bidding process for this effort is expected to begin during the next several months. The source of the sand for the dunes is likely to be from a landlocked barrier island remnant near Eden, Georgia
  1. Improved beach access for four north beach locations, with added parking, bathroom facilities, and dune crossovers.
 
7. It was determined that the current chairman of the Beach Erosion Committee will continue in that capacity.
 
8. It was determined that one possible mitigation option study might be the construction of a "permanent" pipeline from Jones Oysterbed Island to Tybee Island for the purpose of pumping sand from the dredged material spoil site to Tybee. Such a pipeline would have to be sufficiently trenched or fully submerged to not interfere in any way with the navigation of vessels in the waterway, and accomplished with sufficient study so as to not endanger the acquifers. Two benefits might result, namely: facilitating the transfer of beach compatible sand to Tybee as needed, and secondly, extending the life of the disposal site or reducing future costs associated with expanding the disposal site capacity.
 
9. It was determined that the committee would consider the issue of increasing the communication of the efforts of the committee to others.