Shoreline Position Change Monitoring at Gateway National Recreation Area 2007-2012 Trend Report
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Shoreline Position Change Monitoring at Gateway National Recreation Area 2007-2012 Trend Report Natural Resource Data Series NPS/NCBN/NRDS—2016/1030 ON THE COVER Photograph of Fort Wadsworth, Gateway National Recreation Area Photograph courtesy of Andrea Spahn Shoreline Change Monitoring at Gateway National Recreation Area 2007-2012 Trend Report Natural Resource Data Series NPS/NCBN/NRDS—2016/1030 Norbert P. Psuty John Schmelz Michael Towle Andrea Spahn New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey 74 Magruder Road Highlands, New Jersey 07732 June 2016 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Data Series is intended for the timely release of basic data sets and data summaries. Care has been taken to assure accuracy of raw data values, but a thorough analysis and interpretation of the data has not been completed. Consequently, the initial analyses of data in this report are provisional and subject to change. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. Data in this report were collected and analyzed using methods based on established, peer-reviewed protocols and were analyzed and interpreted within the guidelines of the protocols. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available in digital format from the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). To receive this report in a format optimized for screen readers, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Psuty, N. P., J. Schmelz, M. Towle, and A. Spahn. 2016. Shoreline change monitoring at Gateway National Recreation Area: 2007-2012 trend report. Natural Resource Data Series NPS/NCBN/NRDS—2016/1030. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 646/133220, June 2016 ii Contents Page Figures.................................................................................................................................................... v Figures (continued) .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Tables ................................................................................................................................................... vii Appendices ........................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................. ix Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................. xi Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Site and Situation ................................................................................................................................... 3 Timing of Shoreline Position Surveys ................................................................................................... 5 Natural and Cultural Events Affecting Shoreline Position .................................................................... 7 Natural Events ................................................................................................................................ 7 Cultural Events - Artificial Emplacement of Sediment ................................................................ 10 Areas of Special Interest ...................................................................................................................... 11 Changes to the Protocol ....................................................................................................................... 11 Methods for Portraying Metrics of Change in Shoreline Position ....................................................... 11 Results of Shoreline Monitoring .......................................................................................................... 13 Sandy Hook .................................................................................................................................. 13 Annual Shoreline Change ........................................................................................................ 13 5-Year Shoreline Change ........................................................................................................ 15 Summary Statistics Tables and Trends of Change .................................................................. 15 Breezy Point ................................................................................................................................. 17 Breezy Point - Oceanside ........................................................................................................ 17 Breezy Point - Bayside ............................................................................................................ 20 Plumb Beach ................................................................................................................................. 23 Annual Shoreline Change ........................................................................................................ 24 4-Year Shoreline Change ........................................................................................................ 24 Summary Statistics Tables and Trends of Change .................................................................. 24 Great Kills .................................................................................................................................... 27 iii Contents (continued) Page Great Kills - Oceanside ........................................................................................................... 27 Great Kills - Bayside ............................................................................................................... 30 Miller Field ................................................................................................................................... 33 3-Year Shoreline Change ........................................................................................................ 33 Summary Statistics Tables and Trends of Change .................................................................. 34 Fort Wadsworth ............................................................................................................................ 36 3 Year Shoreline Change ......................................................................................................... 36 Summary Statistics Tables and Trends of Change .................................................................. 37 Interpretation of Trends ....................................................................................................................... 39 Information for Management and Recommendations ......................................................................... 39 Problems/Concerns .............................................................................................................................. 41 Data Archives ....................................................................................................................................... 41 Literature Cited .................................................................................................................................... 43 Appendix A: Annual Shoreline Change (2011 - 2012) at Gateway NRA ........................................... 45 iv Figures Page Figure 1. Gateway National Recreation Area and the location and extent of the monitored shoreline positions ................................................................................................................ 3 Figure 2. Units of Gateway National Recreation Area with locations of harden structures and direction of alongshore sediment transport. .................................................................................... 5 Figure 3. Daily water level variation at Sandy Hook tide gauge, with storm water levels surpassing the threshold value of 2.0 m above Mean Lower Low Water .............................................. 8 Figure 4. Relationship of mean lower low water at the Sandy Hook, NJ (1983-2001 tidal epoch) tide gauge to the 2.0m storm elevation threshold. ..................................................................... 9 Figure 5. Shoreline displacement