Southeast Florida Sediment Assessment and Needs Determination (SAND) Study

Abstract : The Southeast Florida Sediment Assessment and Needs Determination (SAND) study quantifies domestic sand resources to support placement of planned, full-sized beach nourishment projects through the next 50 years (year 2062) for St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami Dade Counties. Sediment needs for each county were established based on project performance, accounting for storms, construction losses, and sea-level change. Sediment-source volume calculations considered new and existing offshore sediment sources in State and Federal jurisdictional waters. Both recent and historical geotechnical and geophysical data from 8 feet (ft) North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) to 90 ft NAVD88 towards the Florida-Hatteras continental shelf slope break were taken into account during sediment assessment. Offshore sediment sources were divided into four categories: Proven, Potential, Unverified (volumecontributing and volume-non-contributing) and Depleted, depending on density and quality of geological data. Confidence levels of 90%, 70%, and 30% were applied in the volume assessment to the Proven, Potential and volume-contributing Unverified categories, respectively.