This research provides a preliminary estimate of the sand volumes and costs to nourish all existing and potential recreational oceanic beaches in the U.S. given various sea level rise scenarios. The guiding concept of beach nourishment is to place enough sand on the beach to maintain stable (non-retreating) conditions with rising sea levels. This study evaluates the quantity of sand required to 'hold the line' using six sea-level rise scenarios, assuming a worse-case scenario of approximately ten feet of rise by the year 2100. The potential costs of these nourishment projects were estimated using the best available data for existing beach nourishment projects.
