The Battle for North Carolina's Coast

by Riggs, Stanley R.; Ames, Dorothea V.; Culver, Stephen J.; Mallinson, David J.

• ISBN13: 9780807834862
• ISBN10: 0807834866
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-09-04
• Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Pr

Summary

The North Carolina barrier islands, a 325-mile-long string of narrow sand islands that forms the coast of North Carolina, are one of the most beloved areas to live and visit in the United States. However, extensive barrier island segments and their associated wetlands are in jeopardy. InThe Battle for North Carolina's Coast, four experts on coastal dynamics examine issues that threaten this state treasure. According to the authors, the North Carolina barrier islands are not permanent. Rather, they are highly mobile piles of sand that are impacted by sea-level rise and major storms and hurricanes. Our present development and management policies for these changing islands are in direct conflict with their natural dynamics. Revealing the urgency of the environmental and economic problems facing coastal North Carolina, this essential book offers a hopeful vision for the coast's future if we are willing to adapt to the barriers' ongoing and natural processes. This will require a radical change in our thinking about development and new approaches to the way we visit and use the coast. Ultimately, we cannot afford to lose these unique and valuable islands of opportunity. This book is an urgent call to protect our coastal resources and preserve our coastal economy.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Why is there a Coastal Conflict?	p. 1
North Carolina's Coastal System	p. 6
Regional Setting	p. 6
The Modern Coastal System	p. 10
The Ice Ages and Postglacial Sea-Level Rise	p. 14
A Time of Climate Change and Sea-Level Fluctuation	p. 14
Sea-Level Rise in North Carolina	p. 18
Storms and Coastal Systems	p. 24
History of North Carolina Storms	p. 24
Tropical Cyclones and Extratropical Nor'easters	p. 26
Effects of Storms on Coastal Dynamics	p. 31
The Modern Ocean Shoreline System	p. 33
Types of North Carolina Beaches	p. 33
Sediment Supply for Coastal Beaches	p. 34
Simple Barrier Islands-Inlet and Overwash Dynamics	p. 38
Complex Barrier Islands-Accreting Beach Ridges and Dune Fields	p. 46
Perched Headland Beaches-Erosional Scarped Uplands	p. 48
Formation of the Modern Coastal System	p. 51
Regional Differences	p. 51
Evolution of the Northern Coastal Zone	p. 52
Evolution of the Southern Coastal Zone	p. 62
What is at Risk?	p. 66
Human Modification of Barrier Island Dynamics	p. 71
Roads and Bridges	p. 71
Beach and Inlet Management	p. 78
Constructed Barrier Dune-Ridges	p. 78
Shoreline Hardening	p. 80
Sandbag Hardening	p. 84
Beach Nourishment	p. 86
Inlet Openings and Closings	p. 89
Urban Development and Relocation	p. 91
Adaptation to Coastal Change	p. 99
The Questions We Face	p. 99
Vision for the Future	p. 100
"A String of Pearls": North Carolina's Sparsely Developed Barriers	p. 103
"Islands of Opportunity": North Carolina's Developed Barriers	p. 108
"Land of Water": A Coastal Trail Program for North Carolina	p. 114
Concluding Thoughts	p. 118
Notes	p. 121
Bibliography	p. 125
Acknowledgments	p. 133
Figure Credits	p. 135
Index	p. 139
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