The U.S. Beach
Nourishment Experience
Welcome
This site provides a portal to PSDS’ beach nourishment database: a 25-year research and data collection effort that, to the best of our knowledge, represents the most comprehensive compilation of beach nourishment history in the United States.
Database
User-friendly portal for accessing, viewing and downloading our data collected.
Our Goal
Our goal in making this data available is to provide a source of objective, comprehensive beach nourishment information to coastal planners, legislators, lobbyists, community members, coastal residents, researchers, local policy analysts, decision-makers, engineers and students involved in responsible, equitable and sustainable coastal environmental management.
For Who
Anyone who wants to know more about sustainable coastal environment management.
About Our Data
Under the constant revision, the PSDS beach nourishment database contains attribute information on the general location of sand placement, primary funding source and funding type, the volume of sediment emplacement (in cubic yards), length of beach nourished (in feet) and cost.
Data
2,653 beach nourishment episodes dating back to 1923.
What is an Episode
For the sake of consistency and clarification, please note that we consider any action that places sand on a beach to be a nourishment episode rather than a nourishment project. This terminology helps differentiate between a discrete emplacement of sand and a US Army Corps of Engineers’ shore protection/beach nourishment project that can involve multiple nourishment episodes and last up to 50 years.
Episode
We consider an Episode any event that places sand on a beach.
Some Incomplete Data
Also note that, due to inconsistent recordkeeping and the availability of data, complete information is unavailable for many nourishment episodes. If you have information you would like us to include please contact us.
Errors
Please feel free to let us know if you discover an error.
Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (PSDS) Nourishment Contacts
Andrew Coburn- Associate Director, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines
Dr. Robert Young- Director, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines.