Beach Strategies for Nearshore Restoration and Protection in Puget Sound
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This multi-phase project aims to develop science-based strategies to guide future protection and restoration efforts on Puget Sound beaches. In Phase 1, completed in 2017, data were assessed and compiled, data gaps were filled, and an integrated geodatabase was established. In Phase 2 (completed 2020), the best available data generated in Phase 1 was organized and analyzed to provide nearshore recovery practitioners with a suite of tools to guide their decision making. In Phase 3 (completed in 2023), a suite of geospatial tools were developed to support future updates of the Beach Strategies Geodatabase, providing a consistent framework for incorporating new shore conditions (armor, forage fish spawning) data and assigning new restoration and protection priority actions.
Prior to the initiation of the Beach Strategies project, existing strategies were found to be insufficient; the spatial resolution was coarse, there were many gaps and errors, and they did not adequately reflect the new challenges faced by local governments and restoration groups. The outputs of the Beach Strategies project included data sets of higher spatial resolution and accuracy that will enable improved tracking of Puget Sound Vital Signs (shoreline armor and armored feeder bluffs) and more effective strategy development and implementation. The strategies that emerge from this project will guide improved protection of nearshore ecosystems, more informed choices about where and how to restore and conserve beaches, and more scientific approaches to monitoring shoreline conditions and vital signs.
The objectives of the early tasks in Phase 2 entailed providing a conceptual foundation for the development of updated Beach Strategies, GIS queries, and data outputs. Phase 2 builds on Phase 1 data to create tools for prioritizing the protection and restoration of Puget Sound beaches and bluffs, developing metrics to address sediment supply processes, forage fish spawning support, and pocket beaches.
We hope that together these new products will better enable partners to effectively collaborate, make more informed decisions, and ultimately achieve more nearshore restoration and conservation of Puget Sound beach systems.
- Link to new Beach Strategies Hub Site: https://beach-strategies-wdfw-hub.hub.arcgis.com/
Phase 1 Products[edit]
Armor Assessment[edit]
A compilation and assessment of the most up-to-date shore armor data. Data sources were evaluated for quality, coverage, data resolution, and eventually used to rank areas for updated armor mapping.
Beach Strategies Workshop[edit]
A workshop was hosted with potential end-users of Beach Strategies data to better understand the types of questions that would be asked to identify regional beach restoration and protection of priority areas.
Beach Strategy Geodatabase[edit]
This task entailed applying refinements to several nearshore data sets including: • Updated shore armor mapping (with year/method of data collection) • Comprehensive shoretypes (including armored shores and pocket beaches) • Updated net shore-drift cells with linear referencing routes (for spatial analysis) • Fetch and erosion potential • Comprehensive shoreline parcel database
A brief, 15-minute video tour of the Beach Strategies spatial data is available on the Coastal Geologic Services YouTube page.
An example of a possible data use scenario is pictured below. This example illustrates how updated armor mapping completed as part of the Beach Strategies project can be used to quickly highlight areas of failing or derelict armor and associate them with adjacent parcels to guide restoration and outreach efforts (this mapping was only updated in selected areas, and is not available Sound-wide. More updated mapping is proposed for Phase 2). These data scenarios, referred to as "baseball cards", were part of the project deliverables (2 total). The completed files, with descriptive text, can be found on the PRISM site (link below).
Reporting and Geodatabase User’s Guide[edit]
The Phase 1 report describes all elements of Phase 1 tasks in detail, including assessment methods, database refinement, and results of the beach strategy development process. The geodatabase includes all data layers developed and compiled for the project, with metadata. The User’s Guide is succinct (less than 20 pages) and clearly outlines data sources, explains how to link with previous beach strategies, and details methods used to incorporate new data.
Part 1 was completed at the end of 2017. Read the report here:
To download the Phase 1 report: File:CGS ESRP BeachStrategies SummaryReport 20171025.pdf
To download the Phase 1 Report Appendices (A-G) File:CGS ESRP BeachStrategies SummaryReportAppendices 20171025.pdf
Appendix A: GIS User Guide Appendix B: Summary of Feature Classes
Appendix C: Puget Sound Historical Feeder Bluff Mapping Methods
Appendix D: Puget Sound Historical Feeder Bluff Mapping Results
Appendix E: Puget Sound Historical Feeder Bluff Mapping Summary
Appendix F: Puget Sound Armor Assessment Memo
Appendix G: Puget Sound Armor Maps for Jefferson and Mason Counties
Phase 2 Products[edit]
Beach Strategies for Puget Sound Phase 2 Report[edit]
Beach Strategies Phase 2 incorporated feedback from end-users at multiple stages in order to develop meaningful and valuable tools to inform beach restoration and protection efforts in the Puget Sound region. The results of end-user outreach efforts were used to construct an online mapping tool that enabled users to explore management recommendations at a desired scale of analysis (bluff or drift cell), investigate underlying data used to develop management recommendations, and specify ranges of user-defined values.
An evaluation framework was developed to assess conditions within beach systems by integrating fundamental conceptual linkages and values from previous efforts focused on Puget Sound recovery within beach systems (Cereghino et al. 2012, Simenstad et al. 2011, Greiner 2010). The framework consists of three modules: sediment supply, forage fish spawning, and pocket beaches. A fourth module that was focused on the assessment of sediment supply and transport to support barrier embayment systems was developed but was put on hold due to data shortcomings.
Each module consists of a range of queries and metrics that were designed to convey on-the-ground conditions along a zero to one gradient. Metrics reflect nearshore process degradation and/or the potential benefit of restoration or protection of a given unit of shore. Restoration and protection management recommendations were assigned based on the combined degradation and potential benefit at multiple nested scales from net shore-drift cells to shoreforms and reaches of armored and unarmored bluff. Management recommendations include prioritized drift cells, bluff reaches and pocket beaches for restoration and protection throughout the region for each module.
All metrics, interim data, and management recommendations are presented in project web maps and are included in the project geodatabase. Guidance and discussion of how to use the Beach Strategies Phase 2 products, data limitations, and considerations for future studies are discussed in the concluding sections of the Beach Strategies for Puget Sound Project report.
Funding for the Beach Strategies project comes from the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP) Learning Project, RCO #14-2308P.
Phase 2 was completed in 2020. Access the Phase 2 Summary Report, Document appendices, and Web Maps Here:
To download the Phase 2 report: File:CGS ESRP BeachStrategies Phase2Report Sept2020 revised.pdf
Outreach Memo[edit]
Summary of results of outreach efforts to end-users
Coastal Geomorphology Summit[edit]
Guiding Principles for Beach Restoration
Link to watch a recording of Beach Strategies Phase 2 webinar on 10/2/2020
File:CGS BeachStrategies 10.02.20 Presentation and Webmap demo.pdf
Phase 3 Products[edit]
Phase 3 of Beach Strategies consisted of building tools to support sharing and exploration of the Beach Strategies geodatabase, and developing a toolset to enable automated updates to future iterations of the Beach Strategies Phase 1 and Phase 2 geodatabases.
To support data sharing, exploration, and access, the project team built a Hub Site and created an interactive web-based tool for exploring and accessing the data. To access the new Beach Strategies Arc GIS Hub Site and Data Explorer:
- Link to new Beach Strategies Hub Site: https://beach-strategies-wdfw-hub.hub.arcgis.com/
The spatial toolbox developed to support future updates to the Beach Strategies Geodatabase is available on request.
Notes[edit]
- This project provided an update to the beach component of work described in Cereghino et al 2012, which attempted an initial classification of Puget Sound beaches for management.
- This project integrates aspects of Feeder Bluff Outreach and Armor Removal (Island and Jefferson counties), a pilot effort funded by ESRP.
- This proposal utilizes new data on sediment sources and parcel ownership developed by the Puget Sound Marine and Nearshore Grant Program.
- The proposal leverages regional expertise and maximizes applicability by working with end users in the Lead Entities and with review by regional experts through the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program.
