SEA LEVEL RISE IN NORTH CAROLINA IMPLICATIONS FOR COASTAL POLICY - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SEA LEVEL RISE IN NORTH CAROLINA IMPLICATIONS FOR COASTAL POLICY

Relative Sea Level Rise

Average Yearly Sea Level, Key West Florida, 1950-2006 1.2 1 0.8 Sea Level (ft) 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 Year 1952 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 Year

Ocean Rise Relative Sea Level Rise Erosion

Policies and Rules • Oceanfront Construction – Building codes • Setbacks & Shoreline Retreat – 30 year life span • Beach Nourishment – High costs & collateral environmental impacts • Beach Hardening and Sandbag Walls – Prohibited and limits on sandbag size & lifespan • Storm Damage Attenuation – Berms, local zoning, and federal insurance policy

Storm Surge and Sea Level Rise, Key West Florida 1950-2006 14 12 10 Elevation (ft) 8 Yearly Average Storm Surge House Elevation 6 4 2 0 1950 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 Year

Relative Sea Level Rise Ocean Rise Erosion Deep Crustal Movements

Relative Sea Level Rise Ocean Rise Erosion Shallow Sediments Deep Crustal Movements

Relative Sea Level Rise Sedimentation Ocean Rise Remineralization Erosion Shallow Sediments Deep Crustal Movements

Changes Due to O 2 Consumption Salinity Increase 2- Reducing CH 4 Inhibiting SO 4 2- Reduction SO 4 Sediment 2- Reducing depth Part-time SO 4 Year-round Methanogenic CH 4 Production

Cape Fear River

INNER COAST POLICY ISSUES • Shoreline Erosion – Bulkheads and Wetland Issues • Non-coastal & 404 Wetlands • Infrastructure – Roads, sewers, etc

LAND USE PLANS • Mandated under CAMA • Few integrate Sea Level Rise other than preparation for hurricanes • Subject to change • Do not have to be followed except in AECs where CAMA permits are required

PUBLIC AWARNESS • Education • Hazard Notification • Disasters • Insurance

OTHER ISSUES • Dams trap sediments preventing sand from reaching beaches and accelerating Relative Sea Level Rise. • Higher water tables limit effectiveness of septic systems and lead to water quality issues and potential human health problems • Insurance Dilemma • Cumulative Impacts

HURRICANE RESPONSE • Human safety and health primary concern • Reconstruction driven by emotion, not by planed shoreline retreat or response to sea level rise

QUESTIONS? • Contact Information • Courtney Hackney • Dept. Biology and Marine Biology • UNC-Wilmington • 910-962-3759 • Hackney@UNCW.edu