1001 

 APPENDIX II 



A Discussion of the Erosion Problem in the United States ^ 



BACKGROUND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 



Erosion is a national coastal problem with implications for many 

 U.S. citizens. Almost one-fourth of our nation's 84,240 miles of coast- 

 line is eroding, with approximately 2,700 miles, or 3.2% critically 

 eroding.^ Eighty-one percent of the 2,700 miles of critical erosion 

 occurs along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts; 10% along the Pacific, 

 Hawaiian and Alaskan coasts; and 8% along the Great Lakes shores.^ 

 Estimates of damage erosion causes annually vary, but $300 million 

 would appear to be a reasonable figure. 



This nation does not yet have an effective process which consolidates 

 the capital and technical expertise necessary to solve this problem: 

 current Federal, state, and local, and private efforts are often dis- 

 jointed, underfunded, and poorly engineered. It was estimated, in 

 1971, that it would cost almost $1 billion to prevent harm to life, 

 public safety, property, wildlife habitats, and landmarks of historical 

 or natural significance in the next five years from erosion by erecting 

 structural controls.* Yet the magnitude of Federal effort has been 

 relatively small : between 1970 and 1974, only $104 million was spent 

 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on reducing erosion.^ 



Critically eroded coastline had been separated into four categories 

 by the Corps. 



Those areas (A, B, C) where continued critical erosion is likely to 

 endanger : 



A. Life or public safety within five years. 



B. Property, scarce wildlife habitats, or landmarks of histori- 

 cal or natural significance within five years. 



C. Life, public safety, property, scarce wildlife habitats, or 

 landmarks of historical natural significance within five to fifteen 

 years. 



D. All other critically eroding areas. 



Our nation's coastline falls into those categories as follows: 



1 This report was prepared by the Office of Coastal Zone Management. National Oceanic 

 and Atmospheric Administration, at the request of the Subcommittee on Oceanography. 



2 Report on the National Shoreline Study, Army Corps of Engineers, August 1971, p. 18, 

 table 1. 



3 Ibid., p. 27. table 2. 



* Op. cit. National Shoreline Study, p. 24. table 2. 



''OAO report on "National Efforts to Preserve the Nation's Beaches and Shorelines — A 

 Continuing Problem," June 11, 1975, p. il. 



(115) 



