National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Facilitating migration of coastal landforms and habitats by removing shore protection structures An adaptation strategy for Northeast Region units of the National Park Service Natural Resource Report NPS/NER/NRR—2016/1240 ON THE COVER Photograph of seawall and deteriorated bulkhead near Battery Kingman, Sandy Hook Unit, Gateway National Recreation Area. Photograph by K.F. Nordstrom Facilitating migration of coastal landforms and habitats by removing shore protection structures An adaptation strategy for Northeast Region units of the National Park Service Natural Resource Report NPS/NER/NRR—2016/1240 Karl F. Nordstrom Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ, 08901 Nancy L. Jackson Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ, 07102 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 Report Series is used to disseminate comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. 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. This report received formal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. 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: Nordstrom, K. F., and N. L. Jackson. 2016. Facilitating migration of coastal landforms and habitats by removing shore protection structures: An adaptation strategy for Northeast Region units of the National Park Service. Natural Resource Report NPS/NER/NRR—2016/1240. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 962/133374, June 2016 ii Contents Page Figures.................................................................................................................................................. vii Tables .................................................................................................................................................... xi Appendices ..........................................................................................................................................xiii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. xv Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................................. xvii Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 The global issue .............................................................................................................................. 1 Potential actions by the National Park Service ............................................................................... 1 Study sites and policy framework .......................................................................................................... 5 Methods .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Relationship of present study to NPS Coastal Engineering Inventories .............................................. 15 The case for coastal erosion ................................................................................................................. 17 Beach and dune erosion ................................................................................................................ 17 Marsh erosion ............................................................................................................................... 17 Bluff erosion ................................................................................................................................. 18 Overview of results .............................................................................................................................. 21 Inventory of protection structures ................................................................................................ 21 Emerging adaptation plans and actions in parks .......................................................................... 24 Characteristics at individual parks ....................................................................................................... 27 Acadia National Park .................................................................................................................... 27 The situation ............................................................................................................................ 27 Options .................................................................................................................................... 28 Suggestions for structure removal ........................................................................................... 30 Salem Maritime National Historic Park ....................................................................................... 31 The situation ............................................................................................................................ 31 Options .................................................................................................................................... 31 Suggestions for structure removal ........................................................................................... 34 Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site ................................................................................... 34 iii Contents (continued) Page The situation ............................................................................................................................ 34 Options .................................................................................................................................... 34 Suggestions for structure removal ........................................................................................... 35 Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area ........................................................................ 35 The situation ............................................................................................................................ 35 Options .................................................................................................................................... 37 Case study 1: removal of the wall on the northeast side of Lovells Island ............................. 39 Case study 2: removal of protection from the north end of Thompson Island ........................ 41 Suggestions for structure removal ........................................................................................... 42 Cape Cod National Seashore ........................................................................................................ 42 Options .................................................................................................................................... 43 Case study: Herring Cove Beach ............................................................................................. 44 Suggestions for structure removal ........................................................................................... 44 Fire Island National Seashore ....................................................................................................... 45 The situation ............................................................................................................................ 45 Options .................................................................................................................................... 46 Suggestions for structure removal ..........................................................................................