UNCLASSIFIED 



SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGEfWJien Data Bnttnd) 



enhanced by artificial nourishment at profile line 2. Temporary, low-cost 

 shore protection devices (e.g., sandbag groins) were constructed near that 

 inlet during part of the study. No other modifications or activities that 

 affected beach processes were known to occur during the study period. 



The central part of Holden Beach was studied separately because of the 

 high variability of the inlet sections at either end of the island. Fore- 

 shore slopes along this reach increased from an average of 1:30 at the east 

 end to 1:17 at the west. A seasonal change in above MSL volume indicates 

 loss of sand during autumn and winter, and a gain during spring and summer. 

 Changes in MSL shoreline intercept and above MSL volume were highly variable 

 during the study. Regression analysis and total annual rates of change indi- 

 cate that the MSL shoreline is advancing while above MSL volume is decreasing. 

 The net sand loss along the central reach was met or exceeded by gains along 

 the inlet reaches. Wind data showed that strong winds occurred less frequently 

 than normal during the study, and few major storms had an impact on the beach. 

 Erosion events correlated with high water levels and strong onshore winds 

 (near 10 meters per second) while accretion events correlated with gentle, 

 onshore winds for several days before the survey. Visual wave data indicated 

 that westward littoral transport predominated two to three times the eastward 

 transport. The extreme variability of the inlet sections in comparison to 

 the central section emphasizes the need for a different sampling approach to 

 understand these disparate environments. 



UNCLASSIFIED 



SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE(T»7ien Data Entered) 



