University Beach Monitoring ProjectDeidre Williams, Division of Nearshore Research

Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Shoreline prior to beach construction.

Corpus ChristiBay

BR

5

BR

4IR9IR

11

IR10

IR8

BR

2BR

3IR

7

IR6

IR5

IR4

BR

1

EastParking

Lot

IR3

IR2

IR14

IR13

IR12

BR

6

0 50 100 200 400 100

Graphic Scale

Design Beach Submerged Toe

Design Beach Shoreline

Detached Breakwater

Pre-constructionBulkheadLocation

Groin

Beach Cell

PerformingArtsCenter

Corpus ChristiBay

BR

5

BR

4IR9IR

11

IR10

IR8

BR

2BR

3IR

7

IR6

IR5

IR4

BR

1

EastParking

Lot

IR3

IR2

IR14

IR13

IR12

BR

6

0 50 100 200 400 100

Graphic Scale0 50 100 200 400 100

Graphic Scale

Design Beach Submerged Toe

Design Beach Shoreline

Detached Breakwater

Pre-constructionBulkheadLocation

Groin

Beach Cell

PerformingArtsCenter

0.15

0.150.12

0.12

0.15

0.12

Corpus ChristiBay

Ocean Drive

Median Grain Size in mm

Median Grain Size in mm

Corpus ChristiBay

Ocean Drive

0.120.12

0.12

0.15

0.150.15

0.15

0.120.30

0.30

2.00.80

0.48 0.60

0 50 100 150 200 250 300-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

MHHW (1.61 ft)

Ele

vatio

n, ft

(NG

VD

)

Distance Across Shore, ft

Profile BR4Location: Between Center and West DBW

08/31/01 (Post-construction) 09/07/01 09/28/01 10/31/01 12/14/01 05/30/02 10/05/02 05/31/03 11/20/03 05/18/04

Modification of the beach slope (BR4)

-100 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

-10

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

DBWMHHW (1.61 ft)

Ele

vatio

n (N

GV

D),

ft

Distance Across Shore, ft

Profile BR3Location: Center of Center DBW

10/13/00 (Pre-construction) 08/31/01 (Post-construction) 09/07/01 09/28/01 10/31/01 12/14/01 05/30/02 10/05/02 05/31/03 11/20/03 05/18/04

Accretion in lee of central DBW ( BR3)Average median grain size (mm) distribution prior to beach construction (10/13/2003) and after three years 05/17/2004.

University Beach is located adjacent to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi along the northern shoreline of Ward Island, Corpus Christi, Texas. The beach fill, consisting of 45,000 cu yd of beach-quality quarry sand, was placed to restore a 1,200 ft section of a beach that had eroded some 60 years ago. Prior to construction, the shoreline was completely devoid of a beach and consisted of a deteriorating timber bulkhead as well as discarded concrete and construction materials.

The public recreational beach was completed in August 2001 after 5 months of construction and nearly 7 years of research and planning. The project was made possible through the cooperation and support of The Texas General Land Office (Coastal Management Program and Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act), Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, The Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science, and the City of Corpus Christi

Photo Ward Shoreline

Corpus ChristiBay

Ocean DriveBluff

Concrete rubble, and deteriorating timber bulkhead

Filled dirt road

N

TAMU-CC

The evolution of a beach fill placed along Corpus Christi Bay was monitored to determine trends in shoreline change, sub-aerial and nearshore morphology, volumetric change, and sand grain size distribution. The monitoring program was initiated to document the evolution of a restored beach that was constructed during the summer of 2001.

Monitoring program consisted of:

• Beach Profile surveys

• Shoreline Position surveys

• Sediment Sampling and Analysis

• Aerial Photograph InterpretationBEACH CELL DESIGN AND PROFILE TRANSECTS

Survey Date, ShorelineDesign Position08/31/200109/28/200110/31/200103/29/200205/30/200210/05/200205/31/200311/21/200305/18/2004

0 50 100 200 400 800

Graphic Scale (ft)

Corpus ChristiBay

TAMU-CC

BR

2

BR

3

IR7

IR6

IR5

IR4

BR

5

BR

4IR9

IR11

IR10

IR8

SHORELINE POSITION SURVEYS

BEACH PROFILE SURVEYS

Nearly vertical scarp after placement

SEDIMENT GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTIONAERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Beach immediately after placement 08/2001

Slope modification five months after placement