Severe%20beach%20erosion%20at%20Surfside,%20Texas%20caused%20by%20engineering%20changes%20to%20the%20coast%20and%20rivers

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Severe beach erosion at Surfside, Texas caused by
engineering changes to the coast and rivers
Richard L. Watson, Ph.D. TexasCoastGeology.com (36
1) 749-4152
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Beach Erosion at Surfside, 1/11/2007
TexasCoastGeology.com
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A River of Sand,Sand Movement in the Surf Zone

• 700,000 to 800,000 cuyd/yr
• 250 Dump Trucks Per Day
• One Dump Truck Every 6 Minutes

TexasCoastGeology.com
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Sabine
TexasCoastGeology.com
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Galveston East Jetty, 23 million cubic meters of
sand stored(4 million dump trucks)
TexasCoastGeology.com
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7.6 million cubic meters lost from the beach
TexasCoastGeology.com
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The Octagon, 1969
From Surfrider Foundation website
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The Octagon, 2000
From Surfriders website
From Surfrider Foundation website
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H. Rita Landfall, 2005
TexasCoastGeology.com
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Surfside Village after Rita
TexasCoastGeology.com
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Surfside Village, TX after Rita
TexasCoastGeology.com
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Freeport Jetties, Surfside
Freeport Channel
New Delta
Old Delta Location
TexasCoastGeology.com
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Brazos River Deltas 1935
River moved in 1929 Location of Surfside
New Delta
Old Delta
TexasCoastGeology.com
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Brazos River Delta, 1938
Location of Surfside
OLD
NEW
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Brazos River Deltas 1954
Location of Surfside
Old Delta
New Delta
TexasCoastGeology.com
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Brazos R. Sediment Discharge
From Mathewson Minter, 1976
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Brazos Deltas circa 2002
Surfside
Old Delta
New Delta
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Historic Shorelines, Surfside
2000
1980
1960
1950
1930 (river moved in 1929)
From Texas General Land Office, Data by Bureau
of Eco. Geol., Aerial Photo 2006
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Freeport dredging doubled
TexasCoastGeology.com
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Relative Sea Level Rise, Galveston, TX
From James Gibeaut, Bureau of Economic Geology,
Univ. Texas, Austin
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Surfside has many causes of shoreline retreat

• Brazos River mouth and delta moved
• Freeport Entrance greatly enlarged
• Subsidence due to water extraction
• Updrift sand impoundments at jetties
• Updrift sand loss at man-made inlet
• Sea level rise
• Reduced sand from rivers due to dams

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New Brazos River Delta, 1999
Surfside Village
San Bernard River
Old Shoreline
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All Storms Since 1851
TexasCoastGeology.com
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Dont park too close to the water
TexasCoastGeology.com
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Thats All Folks!
Richard L. Watson, Ph.D. TexasCoastGeology.com (36
1) 749-4152