The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) reports that according to a new USGS report, Hurricane Michael is “very likely” to cause erosion at the bottom of the dune lines along 75% of Florida Panhandle beaches.
“[W]ater levels in some parts of the Northeast Florida coast will still be high enough to overwhelm the dunes, which are relatively low and narrow,” says Kara Doran, leader of the USGS Coastal Change Hazards Storm Team in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Dunes create a natural barrier to the destructive forces of wind and waves, sand dunes provide the first line of defense against coastal storms and beach erosion.
New techniques and environmentally friendly materials for the restoration and biostabilization of these naturally protective dunes have found increased use on U.S. shorelines over the past decade. Youth Conservation Corps in the Panhandle region have been deploying these lower-cost methods and training for dune and shoreline restoration work through the Waders in the Water program sponsored by Trout Headwaters, Inc and The Corps Network.
