Beach Erosion Solution

Coastal erosion is the process by which local sea levels increase, strong wave activity, as well as coastal flooding wearing down or carrying away rocks, dirts, and/or sand and sediment along the shore. All coastlines and beaches are impacted by storms and also various other all-natural occurrences that create erosion; the combination of storm rise at high tide with extra impacts from solid waves– conditions commonly related to land falling hurricanes– develops one of the most harmful conditions. The seriousness  and problems being created from the issue is getting worse with international water levels surging all around the globe, so there is no one-size-fits-all option.

Beach Erosion

Beach Erosion plaguing a beach and threatening undermining a home.  

According to the United States Government, coastal erosion costs roughly $500 million per year for coastal property loss, including damage to structures and loss of land.  This amount is only a fraction compared to the overall costs from local city governments, county and state agencies and from private organizations and property owners.  With growing expenses and shrinking budgets, there is no time better than the present to find a long-term, beach erosion solution.  

beach erosion

Florida beach badly plagued by beach erosion

Sandsaver Beach Erosion Solution

The Sandsaver­­­™ is a long term, beach erosion solution that has been proven effective in a variety of beach renourishment applications, including the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Lake Michigan of The Great Lakes.  The Sandsaver™ works in 2 ways, by breaking down the wave energy, minimizing the loss of sand escaping into the surf, as the waves crash against the ruggedly, durable rotationally molded beach erosion barrier.  With the reduced energy of the wave, the sand is given time to settle on the beach side of the Sandsaver™ modules, thus eventually building up sand until the module is completely covered in sand.

Learn more about Sandsaver™ by clicking here!  

Beaches Saved by Sandsaver Beach Erosion Solution

Lake Michigan Beach Erosion Solution

In April of 2011, The Sandsaver™ was installed for a pilot installation inside of the United States, specifically installed on Lake Michigan of The Great Lakes region.  The installation at a Michigan Church camp was needed as the waters and surf of Lake Michigan continued to crash against the church camp shore, ultimately threatening buildings and other structures that are pertinent to the operations of the camp.  

Before Sandsaver Beach Erosion Solution Was installed

Badly eroding Lake Michigan shores of Arcadia church camp before Sandsaver’s installed

Once the permits were approved and in place, the Sandsaver beach erosion barriers were installed and immediately went to protecting and renourishing the Lake Michigan beach.  The pilot installation was monitored and surveyed by a Third Party Engineering firm, that exclaimed the final results of the Sandsaver Lake Michigan installation were “unambiguously positive”.  As you can see in comparing the before image (above) and the during installation image (below) during the period of Sandsaver installation, you will notice that the beaches are noticeably more covered in Lake Michigan sand, demonstrating the Sandsaver’s ability to break down wave energy and rebuld beach front property via a natural means.    

Sandsaver installed Lake Michigan Great Lakes

Sandsavers re-nourishing Lake Michigan beach

Read more about the Sandsaver Lake Michigan Beach Erosion Solution

 

Indian Ocean Beach Erosion Solution

In January 2020, The Sandsaver™ beach erosion solution barriers were installed at a luxurious, 5 star, African resort, located on the beautiful, Indian Ocean.  This award winning resort had been fighting beach erosion issues for a number of years with little to no success in combating the beach erosion issues plaguing the stretch of picturesque beach.  For years, guests of many resorts along Diani beach have complained about the lack of sand and having to wear shoes or sandals when strolling along the beach, due to pieces of hard, sharp coral and rocks that make up large portions of the beach due to sand loss.  

Hard Coral and Rocks on Beach

Hard coral and rocks on beach, causing issues for those walking beach in bare feet

The January installation of the Sandsaver beach erosion barriers on the resorts’ Indian Ocean beach immediately started accumulating a noticeable and generous accumulation of sand on the beach side of the modules in just a couple of tide changes.  The sand continues to accrete around the modules, getting closer to complete coverage and submersion of the Sandsaver beach erosion barriers in sand.  

Sandsaver Beach Erosion Solution Indian Ocean

Sandsaver™ beach erosion barriers rebuilding an Indian Ocean beach

After 6 months of being installed on the resorts Indian Ocean beach front, the Sandsaver™ system has already accumulated over 30,000 cubic yards of sand via extremely conservative estimates, while growing the width profile of the beach over 150 feet in some areas of the beach.  Most all coral, rock and sediment issues that plagued the beach prior to the Sandsaver installation has been remedied by the generous accumulation of sand caused by Sandsaver’s installation.  The Sandsaver installation has also positively effected both adjacent properties, contributing to a great increase of sand at both locations, while increasing the width profile of the installation location and both adjacent properties, north and south of the installation area.  

Sandsaver Beach Erosion Solution after 6 Months

Overhead shot of Indian Ocean beach after 6 months of Sandsaver™ beach erosion solution

 

Read more about the Sandsaver Indian Ocean Beach Erosion Solution Installation

 

Gulf of Mexico Beach Erosion Solution

The Gulf of Mexico is one of the World’s most sought out beach destination locations for families all across the United States and North America.  The beautiful beaches of the Gulf of Mexico entertain millions of families each year, enjoying time somewhere along the stretch of a thousand plus miles of beautiful shores and beaches.  Unfortunately over the years, the Gulf of Mexico’s beach erosion issues have grown just as fast as tourist interest.  Rising water levels and receding shorelines have contributed to an incredible amount of coastal recession rates all across the Gulf of Mexico.  Rising water levels and disappearing beach profiles are ultimately threatening buildings, roads and even  natural habitats for animals.  

Gulf of Mexico Beach

Gulf of Mexico Beach

After losing a home and significant beach erosion during the Hurricane seasons of 2018 and 2019, one Gulf of Mexico property owner elected to have a permitted Sandsaver™ installation on her Gulf coast property in effort to rebuild and renourish her beach front property while eventually rebuilding her home that was lost in the Hurricane.  The property is located on a Gulf of Mexico intracoastal waterway, where the average tide height is regularly less than 6 inches in height.  Because of the lack of tide and elevation change, the Sandsaver modules were required to be installed in a different manner than what would have been typical for this type of installation.  

Sandsaver Gulf of Mexico Before

Before Sandsaver­™ was installed on the Gulf of Mexico Intracoastal waterway beach

Once the Sandsaver beach erosion barriers were installed on the Gulf beach front, they started producing results of sand accretion on both sides of the modules.  In just a matter of weeks, there was extremely noticeable sand accretion on both sides of the modules.  Neighbors of the property where the Sandsaver™ installation occurred have noticed an increase in dolphin and porpoise activity in the general area, even at  times, witnessing them in the area as long as 3 hours at a time.  

Sandsaver Beach Erosion Solution Gulf of Mexico

Sandsaver modules over 50% buried in freshly accreted sand in the Gulf of Mexico

 

Read more about the Sandsaver Gulf of Mexico Beach Erosion Solution Installation