Author Question: How might building a dam on a river that flows to the sea affect a coastal beach? What will be an ... (Read 32 times)

SO00 · **on:** Jul 14, 2018

How might building a dam on a river that flows to the sea affect a coastal beach?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

List two examples of hard stabilization and describe what each is intended to do. How does each affect the distribution of sand on a beach?

What will be an ideal response?

asdfghjkl; · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 14, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Dams trap the sand that normally gets carried to the ocean by the river and normally nourishes the beach. Thus, a dam might cause the beach to narrow, starved of sediment.

Answer to Question 2

Groins are intended to maintain or widen beaches that are losing sand. However, the current erodes sand from the beach on the downstream side of the groin. Breakwaters are designed to protect boats from the force of large breaking waves. However, the reduced wave activity along the shore behind the structure can allow sand to accumulate, and the boat anchorage will eventually fill with sand while the downstream beach erodes and retreats.