Performance of Experimental Low-Volume Beach Nourishment with Clay-Cored Dunes, Jefferson County, Texas

The National Shoreline Erosion Control Development and Demonstration Program is authorized under Section 227 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 (WRDA 96). The Jefferson County, Texas Section 227 project location fronts the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge in the vicinity of High Island, Texas, 30 miles west of the Texas and Louisiana border. The primary objectives of the project are to minimize erosion of the exposed cohesive sediment and to minimize sand overwash. Experimental low-volume beach nourishment templates were constructed along with a dune. The objective of the nourishment is to investigate the longevity of minimal fill volumes composed of native beach sand or sand slightly larger than what is typically present on the active beach profile. One half of the total dune length was constructed with a compacted clay-core with a sand cover and the other half was constructed entirely of sand.