Loading...
Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and Cheatham Annex Shoreline Management and Coastal Resiliency Plan
Milligan, Donna A. Hardaway, C. Scott Wilcox, Christine A. Green, Cameron W.
Milligan, Donna A.
Hardaway, C. Scott
Wilcox, Christine A.
Green, Cameron W.
Abstract
The Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and Cheatham Annex (collectively NWSY) are located on the York River in York County, Virginia. The objectives of this project were to conduct a shoreline assessment for shoreline management planning along the NWSY and to develop living shoreline plans for eroding coasts. The plan evaluated approximately 41 miles of shoreline for shore geology, morphology, wave climate, sea-level rise, stability and erosion and makes necessary recommendations to implement living shoreline or other ecologically practical alternatives such as breakwaters or sills, as well as include project design aspects suitable for pursuing funding opportunities. The recommended shoreline strategies provide effective shore protection, but also have the added distinction of creating, preserving, and enhancing wetland and beach habitats. Shorelines along NWSY have been experiencing marsh loss and erosion for decades, with erosion rates as high as -9.2 ft/year in some areas. The hydrodynamic, physical, and biological assessments for the site were conducted using existing wave and fetch data, current and historic aerial and ground imagery of the site, and on-site surveys using a small, shallow-draft boat. Maps of the site were created in ArcGIS and shoreline change rates were made using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) tool in ArcGIS. From these assessments, a preferred shoreline management plan was created. The plan consists of 32 sill, breakwater, and brill structures ranging from 45 ft to 525 ft in length to be constructed along 6,310 ft of the York River shoreline, as well as a variety of intertidal and subtidal oyster reef structures to be placed along the Penniman Spit and R3 Pier shorelines totaling approximately 1,125 ft and 720 ft in length, respectively. Additionally, it is recommended that intertidal oyster reefs be placed along the interior creek shorelines, as well as to trim back upland vegetation to support marsh growth wherever possible. In total, the cost of materials, construction, and implementation for the 32 structures proposed for this project is estimated to be around $9.4 million. The result of this proposed management plan will be a resilient shoreline into the future with the addition of expansive marsh and oyster reef growth. Though the rocks will remain in place, adaptive management is needed to determine if the system needs to be raised in the future due to sea-level rise.
Description
Date
2023-09-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Collections
Download Dataset
Files
Rights Holder
Usage License
Embargo
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Shoreline Studies, Shoreline Management, Research and Technical Reports, Shoreline, Coastal resiliency
Citation
Advisor
Department
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Research and Technical Reports
Shoreline Studies
Research and Technical Reports
Shoreline Studies
DOI
https://doi.org/10.25773/cefc-2p78