This document discusses implementing a regional approach to promote coastal resilience in the United States. It notes that coastal populations and economies are growing as sea levels rise and storms intensify, stretching federal resources. Currently, coastal projects are implemented piecemeal without coordination. The document proposes forming regional alliances between state governments and other stakeholders to jointly plan and fund coastal resilience projects. This would allow for more efficient management of dredging and use of dredged materials across larger areas. It provides an example of how a regional approach benefited a project in Fenwick Island after Hurricane Sandy.

1. Regionality:
A Tool to Promote Coastal Resilience
Charles Chesnutt
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Institute for Water Resources
Howard Marlowe
Alden Street Consulting, LLC
Copyright © 2014 by Alden Street Consulting LLC
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2. Overview
 Introduction – the Big Picture
 Objective: Coastal Resiliency
 Current Process
 Piecemeal Implementation
 Federal Financing Trends
 Regionality as an Alternative Model
 Implementation of Policy Change
 Regional state alliances
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3. The Big Picture
 Coastal population & economy is increasing
 Sea level rising
 Storm strength & damages increasing
 Uncle Sam’s shoulders not strong enough – pockets
not deep enough
 Current water resources planning and implementation
process needs to be overhauled
 Coastal resiliency is a regional, national and
international concern
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4.  $3 trillion in shoreline
infrastructure protected
 In 2011, 45%, or $6.6
trillion of America’s GDP
was generated in coastal
counties
 $766,415,356 in dredging
contracts awarded in 2012
 In 2011, $344.4 billion in
tax revenue
 Coastal tourism amounts
to $225 billion annually
 Over one-third of the
nation’s population
NOAA: Coastal Shoreline Counties
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5. Current Status of the Nation’s
Coastal Water Resources
 Coastal Navigation
 Inlets and Small Harbors
 Shore Protection
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6. Navigation
 Channels, waterways, inlets; jetties,
breakwaters, & other structures
 Maintenance activities
 Sand/sediment resources; beneficial uses of sand
 Confined or Near Shore Sediment Disposal
 Commercial uses of non-compatible sand
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7. Coastal
Storm Damage Reduction
 Not just erosion, but damages caused by wave
inundation
 Not just sand nourishment but everything from
seawalls & tide gates to wetlands & Natural &
nature-based solution
 Regional/comprehensive plans
 Contingency planning
 Technical assistance to states for resiliency planning
 State/local building codes & ordinances
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8. Coastal Navigation
28.90%
20.87%15.60%
14.91%
11.70%
8.03% Good
Moderate
Poor
Failing
Failed
Unclassified
126
91
68 65
51
35
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
NumberofProjects
Project Reliability Classification
CSPI Classification of Navigation
Projects
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9. Shore Protection
47
26
37
103
67
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
NumberofProjects
Project Reliability Classification
CSPI classification of Shore
Protection Projects
16.79%
9.29%
13.21%
36.79%
23.93% Good
Intermediate
Poor
Unconstructed
Unassigned
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10. What Contributes to the Current Status of
the Nation’s Coastal Water Resources?
 Not viewed as a national priority
 Inadequate Federal Funding
 The Federal Government’s Piecemeal Implementation
Strategy
 Lack of Collaboration
 Interagency, States, and NGOs
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11. Federal Financing Trends
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$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
CurrentDollar(Millions)
Fiscal Year
Civil Works Budget – Coastal Projects

12. Inefficient Federal Project Delivery
Mechanism
 Piecemeal Planning & Implementation
 Staggered Dredge Mobilization and Demobilization
Schedules.
 Discourages Beneficial Use.
 Projects Planned and Designed Individually with Little
Consideration to Regional Implications.
 Lack of Needs-Based Project Prioritization
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13. Inefficient Federal Project Delivery
Mechanism
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14. Policy Alternatives
 Option #1: Stay the Course
 Option #2: Make radical changes
 Reducing project operating costs
 Increasing their effectiveness
 Protect people, infrastructure & the coastal environment
 Reduce storm & SLR impacts
 Take actions that reduce risks
= Regionality
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15. Regional Project Mgt.
 Coordination of dredge
mobilizations
 Beneficial use of dredged
material
 Interagency coordination
 Coastalshed Analysis
 CSPI prioritization
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16. Beneficial Use
 Beneficial use of dredged materials
 Sand is a precious resource whose supply is not infinite
 We are wasting sand & money due to bad policies &
practices regarding the disposal of sand dredged from
inlets & channels
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17. Regional Sediment Management
Case Study
 Port of Oakland 50 Foot Deepening Project- 12 million
cubic yards
 Middle Harbor Enhancement Area- 6 million cubic
yards
 Hamilton Wetland Restoration- 2.5 million cubic yards
 Montezuma Wetland Restoration- 3 million cubic yards
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18. Coordination
 Coordinate Federal & State Regulatory Requirements
 Environmental Review
 Permitting
 Share information & expertise
 Incorporation of stakeholders interests
 Intergovernmental
 NGOs
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19. Coastalshed Analysis:
CSPI Prioritization
 Analyze resource need across coastalsheds
 Prioritize
 Project reliability
 Extent of resource risk
 Relationship between projects
 Risks
 Structures (Residential and Commercial)
 Environment & Habitat
 Infrastructure
 Critical Facilities (Hospitals, police, fire, etc.)
 Evacuation Routes
 Recreation
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20. Coastalshed Analysis
CSPI Prioritization Case Study
 Fenwick Island- Hurricane Sandy
 Beach project performed as expected
 Flooding mostly occurred from bay side
Before After
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21. Implementing Regionality
 #1: Regional Alliance of States & other Stakeholders
 #2: Alternative Sources of Funding*
* - an important subject for a separate presentation
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22. Build New Partnerships
 Regional Alliance
 State governors & their water resource agencies
 Corps & Federal resource agencies
 Key stakeholders
 NGOs
 Private for-profits
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23. Governors South Atlantic
Alliance
CZMA
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24. Incentives to Cooperate
 Common regional interests
 Needs Increasing + Oncoming Watershed Budgeting
 Inadequate Federal & State Funding Resources
 Collaborative action urgently needed
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25. Thank You
Charles Chesnutt
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Institute for Water Resources
Charles.B.Chesnutt@usace.army.mil
Howard Marlowe
Alden Street Consulting, LLC
howard.marlowe@aldenst.com
Copyright © 2014 by Alden Street Consulting LLC
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