EVALUATION OF BEACH EROSION UP-DRIFT OF TIDAL INLETS IN SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL FLORIDA, USA

The paper discusses the analysis of up-drift beach erosion near selected tidal inlets due to natural evolution and anthropogenic influence. Large scale beach erosion adjacent to tidal inlets occurs due to mixed conditions of natural inlet evolution and anthropogenic change. Typically, beach erosion is expected on the downdrift side of many inlets as they can present a littoral barrier and cause sand deficit to the beaches downdrift. This paper focuses on beach erosion on the up-drift side of several selected inlets in Southwest and Central Florida, USA. The analysis includes evolution of the selected tidal inlets from the time they were naturally opened to existing conditions. The analysis of these case studies indicated the role of ebb shoal features in stabilizing shorelines adjacent to inlets. In cases where up-drift beach erosion occurred, ebb shoals features were significantly asymmetric in shape or depleted below their equilibrium volumes.