This report presents the findings of a task force review of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Shoreline Protection and Beach Erosion Control Program. The assessment of the program was in response to Fiscal Year 1994 "Passback Language" from the Office of Management and Budget. The report responds to concerns about the shoreline protection program, particularly concerning costs, benefits, environmental effects and the related influences on shoreline development. The study was performed in two phases. The initial phase was completed in January 1994 and published as IWR Report 94-PS-1, Shoreline Protection and Beach Erosion Control Study. Phase I: Cost Comparison of Shoreline Protection Projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The purpose of the first phase report was to provide early input to the Office of the Management and Budget regarding the scope and cost of Federal Civil Works shore protection. This second and final phase of the study incorporates: additional analysis of project costs and sand emplacements; and overview of risk management in the coastal zone; a comparison of actual versus anticipated benefits; a discussion on environmental considerations; and an analysis of any induced development effects associated with the Federal shore protection and beach erosion control program. Also, included is a summary of study findings and conclusions. The basis of this report and the data compiled by the task force reflects conditions as of 1 July 1993.

This report presents the results of a study performed by the Army Corps of Engineers in response to a request by the Office of Management and Budget for the Army to analyze the effectiveness of the Federal shore protection program. This report defines the scope of the shore protection program over the period 1950-1993 in terms of the number and types of protective measures, lineal distances of protected shorelines, actual costs and costs updated to 1993, quantities of sand used in restoration and nourishment, and benefits. The report compares estimated against actual costs, quantities of sand and benefits; provides an analysis of Federal programs that are involved in risk management in the coastal zone; the environmental effects of shore protection projects; a discussion of the level of protection afforded by beach projects; and the question of whether or not shore protection projects induce development. Future costs of constructed protects as well as an estimate of projected costs for projects which have a possibility of being constructed in the next fifteen years.

This report defines the scope of the Federal shore protection program over the period 1950-1993 in terms of: the number of projects and types of protective measures; lineal distances of protected shorelines; project costs and expenditures to date; and the quantities of sand used in the restoration and subsequent nourishment of beaches. This report also provides a projection of future costs of constructed protects requiring continued Federal involvement such as beach nourishment as well as an analysis of projected costs for projects which have a strong possibility of being constructed in the next five to ten years (1999 to 2004). Shore protection, Beach nourishment, Costs, Federal projects, Erosion control.

Like ocean beaches, sheltered coastal areas experience land loss from erosion and sea level rise. In response, property owners often install hard structures such as bulkheads as a way to prevent further erosion, but these structures cause changes in the coastal environment that alter landscapes, reduce public access and recreational opportunities, diminish natural habitats, and harm species that depend on these habitats for shelter and food. Mitigating Shore Erosion Along Sheltered Coasts recommends coastal planning efforts and permitting policies to encourage landowners to use erosion control alternatives that help retain the natural features of coastal shorelines.