Wow! eBook
Saving America's Beaches: The Causes Of And Solutions To Beach Erosion
Author(s): Scott L Douglass (Author)
- Publisher: WSPC
- Publication Date: March 19, 2026
- Language: English
- Print length: 194 pages
- ISBN-10: 9819825466
- ISBN-13: 9789819825462
Book Description
This unique book explains where beach sand comes from, how waves are formed and how they break and move sand down the coast, how engineering works have blocked this movement and caused beach erosion, and what can be done to save beaches for future generations of Americans. A three-part prescription for healthy beaches is outlined — backing off, bypassing sand, and beach nourishment. The first edition of this book pointed out that over a billion cubic yards of beach sand have been removed from our beaches by engineering and that beach nourishment could save many American beaches. Indeed, since that first edition was published, we have surpassed one billion cubic yards of sand added to our beaches by beach nourishment. So for the first time in history, we have added more sand to our beaches than we have removed. Essentially, the past 50 years were a “catch-up phase” responding to previous beach sand removals and we are now entering a “maintenance phase.” A question addressed in this new edition is the fate of our beaches as sea levels rise faster and coastal storms change in the coming decades. This useful reference text explains beach processes, “Beach 101,” to laypersons with correct, high-level information. It benefits elected officials, advisory panels, coastal planners and managers, and undergraduate and graduate students in ocean and coastal engineering, coastal management, coastal geomorphology, environmental and marine sciences.
Editorial Reviews
Review
Reviews of the First Edition:
“… found it to be incredibly good. I highly recommend the book to anyone who loves the beach or will be making decisions on beach programs.”
Tom Campbell
“Saving America’s Beaches fills the void for a layman’s guide to processes that shape beaches, causes of beach erosion, and solutions to beach erosion problems. The book will find a ready audience among those who enjoy the most popular of American pastimes and among local, state, and federal government officials who must make decisions to protect what is a valuable esthetic, economic, and environmental resource.”
Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering
About the Author
The author visited over 500 American beaches while researching this book. Scott L Douglass is an emeritus professor that has studied beach erosion problems and solutions along all the nation’s shores. He worked his way through college by lifeguarding on the Jersey shore, studied beaches for the US Army Coastal Engineering Research Center, did laboratory investigations of how waves break on beaches for his PhD, and has consulted on hundreds of coastal engineering projects throughout the country. He has developed all of the FHWA’s coastal engineering guidance for the planning and design of highways in the coastal environment and he has made hundreds of presentations on the role of engineering in beach management, how to build along the coast for resilience in storms, and how to account for sea level rise in civil engineering design. Douglass finds that good coastal engineering has saved many of the most popular beaches in America.