Coastal Erosion Mitigation at Home
Support Shoreline Setbacks
The intent
of shoreline setbacks is to establish a coastal-hazard buffer
zone to protect beach-front development from coastal erosion.
Adequate setbacks allow the natural erosion and accretion cycles
to occur and help maintain lateral beach access. Furthermore,
setbacks provide open space for the enjoyment of the natural shoreline
environment.
A 40-foot
shoreline setback has been often inadequate because they are not
determined by historical site-specific rates of coastal erosion.
Coastal-erosion hazard maps could be used to establish rate-based
building setbacks. Setbacks would be site-specific in order to
reflect the nature of coastal erosion. These setbacks would also
incorporate the proposed style of development. Construction-style
considerations would include the size and expected lifetime of
the planned structure. Larger, immovable buildings and those with
lifetimes of more than 50 years would have deeper setbacks than
small, movable structures.
To support
increasing shoreline setbacks in Hawaii County contact the Department
of Planning East Hi: 961-8288 West Hi: 327-3510.
Encourage Beach Nourishment
Beach
nourishment is a technique used to restore an eroding or lost
beach or to create a new sandy shoreline It involves the placement
of sand fill with or without supporting structures along the shoreline
to widen the beach. It is the only management tool that serves
the dual purpose of protecting coastal lands and preserving beach
resources.
Some homeowners
associations on Maui have implemented small-scale, privately-funded
successful beach nourishment projects. Homeowners interested in
learning more about beach nourishment should contact the State
Department
of Land and Natural Resource, Coastal Lands Program at (808)
587-0446.
Beach Nourishment at Sugar Cove, Spreckelsville,
Maui. Before and after small-scale beach nourishment project
implemented entirely with private funding. Above photo taken June
1996; below photo taken October 1997.
Develop and Install Best Management
Practices
When coastal
erosion threatens property, coastal landowners are usually unaware
of the different types of coastal protection measures that are
available and the applicable environmental concerns and permitting
requirements.
Conventional
coastal protection structures (i.e., seawalls and revetments)
cause beach narrowing and loss. Instead (for example) the use
of sand bags and large sand-filled geotextile tubes ("sea bags")
will temporarily control coastal erosion. Another example may
be concave or "V" shaped structural hardening designs that may
retain sand better than linear structures.
In addition,
developers and landowners should consult with various experts
and governmental agencies, such as the Department
of Land and Natural Resources, Coastal Lands Program at (808)
585-0446. These agencies are familiar with coastal erosion in
order to get appropriate recommendations on project design. .
Comply with Building Codes
and Land Use Regulations
During
the planning phase, the applicant should incorporate the advice
of the County Planning Department East Hi: (808) 961-8288
West Hi: (808) 327-3510, comply with building codes and
land use regulations to decrease the risk of coastal hazards.
Developers and landowners should also acknowledge
developments along the shoreline are subject to the risk of coastal
erosion and any request to protect structures and property with
shoreline armoring is currently discretionary.