The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Short-term effects of bulkheads on the bayshore of Fire Island, New York
Author:	Chavan, Dipanjali
View Online:	njit-etd2005-047 (xii, 57 pages ~ 3.0 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Environmental Policy Studies
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Jackson, Nancy L. (Committee chair) Nordstrom, Karl F. (Committee member) Cohen, Maurie J. (Committee member)
Date:	2005-05
Keywords:	Bulkheads Fire Island, New York Environmental effects
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	Construction of bulkheads as a method of shore protection is common on the bay shoreline of Fire Island, New York but there are few studies that assess the effects of these structures on beach change in estuarine and lagoon environments. A short-term field study was conducted at Cherry Grove on Fire Island to assess the effect of a bulkhead on the fronting profile and to the adjacent beaches on the east side of the bulkhead. Data on winds, waves, and currents were gathered daily at high water. Data on profile change and depth of sediment activation were gathered at low water. Wave heights ranging from 0.22 m to 0.27 m were recorded in front of the bulkhead during the field investigation. The northwest winds (average speed of 7.1 mIs) resulted in volumetric loss of sediment on the adjacent beach. The northeast winds (average speed of 6.6 mIs) resulted in considerable sediment deposition on the adjacent beach. Effects of the bulkhead during northwest winds were minor, while during northeast winds it acted as a trap for sediments transported by the longshore current. It was found that even the small volumetric changes on the adjacent beach can cause large horizontal displacement of the shoreline.