Evaluation of Backshore Protection Techniques

The study site is Bethune Beach on the east coast of Florida in southern Volusia County which is experiencing severe and continued erosion problems. This shoreline erosion has become critical with respect to upland property and buildings. Field observations, historical shoreline trends and wave hindcast data were used to refine existing hypotheses of sand transport in and adjacent to the study area. The potential effects on longshore drift interruption from jetty construction at Ponce De Leon Inlet approximately 14. 5 km north of the site were examined. A complex shoal development off Cape Canaveral is within 32 to 72 km to the south along this barrier island/cuspate shoreline. These factors were included to construct a more complete hypothesis of littoral drift behavior for this stretch of shoreline.