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National Shoreline Management Study

Study Activities

Shoreline Management Goals

Shoreline Change Knowledge

Economic Implications

Systematic Movement of Sand

National Shoreline Management Study

The National Shoreline Management Study (NSMS) contributes to ongoing efforts to improve coastal management. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers initiated the study through collaborative efforts with other agencies. The primary focus areas of NSMS are:

• Erosion and accretion and its causes
• Environmental implications of shoreline change
• Economic implications of shoreline change
• Agency roles and contributions in restoring and renourishing shores
• Systematic movement of sand

The NSMS will make recommendations about the use of a systems approach to sediment management, and roles for Federal and non-Federal participation in shore protection.

The assessment of the Nation's shorelines will takes into account the regional diversity of geology, geomorphology, oceanography, ecology, commerce and development patterns.

The study is a collaborative effort with other agencies. The Corps' Institute for Water Resources (IWR) is managing the study, working closely with the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory as well as Corps field experts and members of other Federal and state agencies.

Revised 21 Oct 2010