Maine Coastal Program
Weathering the Storm
What
are coastal hazards?
Is the Maine coast at risk?
When was the last big coastal storm?
Is sea level rising in Maine?
Where can I get information about Flood
Insurance and community floodplain management?
My house sits up high on a bluff. Is my
property at risk?
Are Maine's sand beaches eroding?
What are coastal hazards?
Coastal hazards include natural events and processes such
as storms, shoreline erosion, landslides and sea-level rise
that cause the loss of property, threaten public safety and
destroy natural resources on the coast. In Maine, the risks
from coastal hazards are mostly the loss of public and private
property near the shore caused by a combination of shoreline
erosion, storms and sea-level rise. Environmental contamination
can also occur from fuel tanks, septic tanks and other systems
are damaged by flooding and storm events. For more information,
visit the coastal hazards page at the Maine Geological Survey
web site: http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/marine/index.htm
Is the Maine coast at risk?
Coastal hazards in Maine will likely continue at a rate comparable
to the rate they have occurred in past years, although some
projections suggest that greater frequency and intensity of
storm events may accompany anticipated global temperature
rise. On average, the Maine coast experiences five to six
major coastal storms and dozens of coastal gales per year,
continuous erosion of southern Maine beaches, and occasional
landslides. Tropical storms and hurricanes occur less frequently.
On average, the Maine coast experiences a tropical storm (with
sustained winds of 39-73 MPH) once within a five year period,
and a hurricane (with winds of 75 MPH or greater) once during
a 15-20 year time frame. More importantly, sea level will
continue to rise at the rate equal to or greater than the
one foot per century documented over the last 100 years. This
will further increase the risks from erosion, flooding and
wave action. An excellent fact sheet on Maine's changing shoreline
is available from the Maine Geological Survey at http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/marine/index.htm
When
was the last big coastal storm?
There have been two federal disaster declarations caused
by coastal storms since 1991. A storm in April 1996 caused
over $500,000 in public property damage in coastal towns,
and coincided with a landslide that destroyed two private
residences in Rockland. In October 1996, a coastal storm,
that is estimated as greater than a 500 year rain event, set
a new record for rainfall and caused extensive flooding in
southern Maine. The total public and private property damage
caused by this event was over $26,000,000.
Is sea level rising in Maine?
Studies of shoreline change
and coastal erosion project that Maine's coastal sand dune
systems, coastal wetlands, and coastal eroding bluffs face
the prospect of significant coastal erosion and inundation
based on historic rates of change, that is without accounting
for accelerated rates of sea-level rise. The 1995 report, Anticipatory Planning for Sea-Level Rise along
the Coast of Maine (Maine State Planning Office) included projected changes in
shoreline position for different scenarios of accelerated
sea-level rise associated with global climate change. Researchers
concluded that a shoreline retreat of hundreds of meters seems
likely. Uplands with associated development (roads, utilities,
municipal service facilities, businesses and residences),
and heavily-used municipal and state recreational beaches
are at risk under these scenarios of accelerated sea-level
rise. Researchers also concluded that between 10-20% of the
wetlands in the Saco Bay and Casco Bay areas alone, could
be lost to rising sea level. Download the Executive Summary section from Anticipatory Planning for Sea-Level Rise Along
the Coast of Maine here. The complete report can be ordered
from the EPA at http://www.epa.gov/ncepihom/ordering.htm
For a fact sheet on sea level rise from the Maine Geological
Survey see http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/marine/index.htm
Where can I get information about Flood
Insurance and community floodplain management?
http://www.maine.gov/spo/flood
http://www.fema.gov/business/nfip/library.shtm
My house sits up high on a bluff; is
my property at risk?
Eroding bluffs have been found along all of the Maine coast,
with most concentrated along the developed waterfront of inner
coastal bays and estuaries. Landslides have destroyed property
and threatened lives of Maine residents. Bluff erosion affects
about 10 times more shoreline length in Maine than beach erosion.
About 320 miles of the Maine coast has bluffs that are considered
unstable and the majority of this area is developed with valuable
real estate.
With partial support from the
Maine Coastal Program, the Maine Geological Survey has been
conducting field studies that identify and rate coastal hazards
along shorelines with sediment bluffs. A full suite of 50
color maps of Coastal Bluffs (depicting bluff stability and
shoreline type) is available from the Maine Department of
Conservation/ Maine Geological Survey through their publications
catalog and online at http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/marine/index.htm
A companion map series that identifies
landslide hazards is also available at this website.
Are Maine's
sand beaches eroding?
Sand beaches comprise only about
1% of Maine’s coastline, or less than 35 miles, mostly
located along the southern Maine coast, south of Cape Elizabeth.
There are very few natural beach and dune systems in southern
Maine, and even these show some signs of slow erosion and
landward migration driven by sea-level rise. With the exception
of a few locations were sand is accumulating because of the
influence of jetties, all of Maine’s beaches are experiencing
erosion.
The severity of beach erosion
in southern Maine has been qualitatively estimated by the
Maine Geological Survey and separated into three categories
(see table below). Highly erosional shorelines have high erosion
rates (over two feet per year if known), have high reinforced
seawalls along the frontal dune, are in need of beach replenishment
to replace eroded sand, and have no recreation opportunities
for about half the tidal cycle. About 10% of Maine’s
beaches are highly erosional. Moderately erosional beaches
have chronic erosional problems, characteristically have seawalls
that are impacted by storm waves annually, or, if natural,
have chronic dune scarps and frontal dune erosion. Many beaches
in this category have gravel berms and most have limited recreation
opportunities at high tide. About 50% of beaches are moderately
erosional. Slightly erosional beaches have slow erosion rates
or variable erosion and accretion rates, often have a sandy
summer berm and seasonal exchanges of sand with the offshore,
have a fairly large frontal dune, usually have no seawalls
and offer recreation opportunities at all tide levels. About
40% of southern Maine beaches fit the slightly erosional category.
For a fact sheet on risks associated
with developing a home or business within Maine’s sand
dune system, along with related links for more information,
see http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/marine/index.htm
Most development along Maine's
beaches requires a permit from the Maine Department of Environmental
Protection under the Natural Resources Protection Act. See http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/docstand/nrpapage.htm for more information. A shoreland zoning permit from your
town or city may also be required.
New data on Maine's beaches is
being gathered by volunteers. Sponsored by Maine Sea Grant,
the University of Maine and the Maine Geological Survey, fifteen
beaches are currently being profiled year-round on a monthly
basis by more than 100 volunteers. For more information about
this program, see http://www.geology.um.maine.edu/beach/.
Status
of Southern Maine's Sand Beaches
|
| |
Development |
Replenishment |
Erosional |
Beach Name |
Status* |
History |
Status** |
Higgins |
high |
none |
moderate |
Scarborough |
low |
none |
slight |
Western |
low |
none |
moderate |
Pine Point |
high |
dune construction, 1956 |
slight |
East Grand |
high |
none |
slight |
Old Orchard Beach |
high |
none |
slight |
Ocean Park |
medium |
none |
slight |
Kinney Shores |
medium |
none |
slight |
Ferry Beach, Saco |
medium |
none |
moderate |
Camp Ellis |
medium
|
1919, 1969, 1970, 1978,1982, 1992, 1996
|
high |
Hills |
medium |
1989 |
moderate |
Fortune's Rocks |
medium |
none |
moderate |
Goochs |
high |
1985 |
high |
Parsons |
none |
moderate |
low |
Crescent Surf |
low |
none |
moderate |
Laudholm |
low |
none |
moderate |
Drakes Island |
high |
2000-01 |
moderate |
Wells |
high |
1990, 1991, 2000-01 |
moderate |
Ogunquit |
low |
dune restoration 1974-75 |
moderate |
Short Sands |
medium |
none |
moderate |
Long Sands |
high |
none |
high |
*Development status represents an average
of both the front and back dunes. |
**Categories of slight, moderate and
high are as defined in the paragraph preceding the table.
Source: Maine Geological Survey
|
Planning for Maine's Beaches
Beach Erosion Task Force - In late 1997 through 1998, Southern
Maine property owners, shoreline business owners, municipal
staff, and environmental groups joined state agencies in a
multi-stakeholder process to identify common ground, avoid
future conflicts, and establish increased protection for Maine’s
sand beaches. Ongoing concerns regarding beach erosion, property
at risk, endangered and threatened species habitat, public
access and regulation of shoreline development prompted the
formation of the stakeholder group. The group’s report,
Improving Maine's Beaches was published in 1998. Recommendations
included both continued planning and implementation activities
in the following categories: erosion, environmental monitoring,
economic analysis, flood insurance claims data, hazard disclosure
requirements, and regional beach management planning. Download Improving Maine's Beaches here.
Regional Beach Management Plans
- The Improving report (discussed above) recommended that
regional groups be formed to create management plans for shared
sand beach systems. Beach plans were intended to create a
common agenda for management of shared sand beach systems.
The Saco Bay Plan (Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Scarborough)
was completed and adopted by participating towns. The Wells
Bay plan (Wells and Kennebunk) is nearing completion. The
plans include the following types of recommendations: changes
to state regulations, creation of new regional advisory boards,
creation of new funding mechanisms, creation of new monitoring
programs and public education programs, modification of jetties,
and creation of state beach nourishment policies. The Southern
Maine Regional Planning Commission, with support from the
Maine Coastal Program, provides staffing for the regional
planning process. A complete summary of activities, including
copies of completed regional plans can be found at http://www.smrpc.org/coastalpage.htm
Related Topics
Protection/Restoration of Endangered Species
The Maine Audubon Society has been involved in sea bird restoration
and species monitoring for more than 20 years. Read about
their successful partnership with Southern Maine landowners
to improve and protect important habitats for piping plovers
and least terns at http://www.maineaudubon.org/.
