1 Introduction 



This report describes a study into the effectiveness of beach nourishment 

 along the cohesive shore south of St. Joseph Harbor on Lake Michigan. The 

 study was funded by the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station 

 under the Monitoring Completed Navigation Projects (MCNP) Program. 



The objectives of this study were as follows: 



a. To improve understanding of the sediment transport processes for both 

 fine-grain and coarse-grain sand components at this site. 



b. To improve understanding of the relationship between the movement of 

 the cohesionless sediment (both fine- and coarse-grain components) and 

 the irreversible downcutting of the underlying glacial till (cohesive 

 sediment) at this site. 



c. To apply the improved understanding of the sediment transport and 

 erosion processes in developing recommendations for beach nourish- 

 ment at the St. Joseph site. 



d. To formulate general principles for beach nourishment of cohesive 

 shore sites which suffer from a sediment supply deficit due to the pres- 

 ence of an updrift littoral barrier. 



The study was based on a comprehensive database of the site conditions which 

 were collected under the MCNP Program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engi- 

 neers, Coastal Engineering Research Center. A companion report by Parson, 

 Morang, and Nairn (1996) discusses geologic control on shoreline stability for 

 southeast Lake Michigan. Another report by Parson and Smith (1995) 

 describes an investigation of native beach characteristics for this section of the 

 Lake Michigan shoreline. These supporting documents include important 

 background information on the analyses and interpretations presented in this 

 report, including: 



a. A description of the geologic setting. 



b. A summary of the results of the monitoring program activities. 



Chapter 1 Introduction 



