Beach nourishment is a soft alternative to hard coastal defenses and protects against flooding and erosion by dissipating the wave energy.
Also referred to as beach replenishment, the work describes a process by which sediment, usually sand, lost through longshore drift or erosion is replaced from other sources.
It is executed with natural elements and allows for a dynamic approach by working with the nature.
Beach nourishment restores the natural order and strengthens age-old natural processes. Moreover, it creates an environment for developing tourism and related services.
A wider beach can reduce storm damage to coastal structures by dissipating energy across the surf zone, protecting upland structures and infrastructure from storm surges, tsunamis and unusually high tides.
DEME (Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering NV) has just released a couple of beautiful photos from the Borsele Beach Nourishment works.
According to the company, the trailing suction hopper dredger ‘Pallieter’ can be spotted at “strandje Baarland” in Borsele, spraying some 20,000 cubic meters of sand onto the beach in one day.