In 1963 Barrow experienced a severe storm surge in which part of the town and region where flooded. Since then there have been ongoing efforts to protect the coastline from erosion and town from flooding. Barrow sits along the Chukchi Sea and the region has a net rate of erosion of 2.2 feet per year. Berms an revetments have been constructed along the beach to help mitigate against future storm damage. The North Slope Borough has spent over $28 million in the last decade to place over 100,000 cubic yards of gravel on the beach. We've spent several days looking at the berms, the sediments along the beach and berms, and the location of key buildings along the coastline. At risk are roadways, bridges, lagoons, buildings, and key infrastructure such as the utilidor pumping stations. We compared the human made berms with the natural bluffs to look at differences in erosional patterns and the types of vegetation that grow in this region. It is important to understand these characteristics in order to develop new and better ways to protect the coastline and to mitigate against future storm surges.
Comments