Lake Superior Beach Nourishment and Near-Shore Bathymetric Surveys of Minnesota Point at Duluth, Minnesota
The shoreline, beaches, and infrastructure in Duluth, Minnesota have been degraded along the Minnesota Point barrier island because of high water levels and heavy wave action. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is exploring the beneficial use of dredge material for beach nourishment on the Lake Superior side of the barrier island.
The USACE collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to collect bathymetry and terrestrial lidar data of beach and near shore areas pre- and post-beach nourishment (Figure 1). The goal of the pre- and post-beach nourishment surveys were to establish pre-nourishment conditions to evaluate movement of placed material and overall changes to the barrier island post placement of dredge material.
The USGS has collected bathymetric elevation data for the shallow water depths using a single-beam sonar, a multibeam sonar in water depths that are greater than 2-meters, and land surface elevation data was collected with a boat mounted lidar. Finally, the USGS has published XYZ and LAS datasets and digital elevation models (DEM) of the survey areas referenced to the International Great Lakes Datum of 1985 (IGLD85; https://doi.org/10.5066/P9JH0O1X). The published data can be used by the USACE to evaluate the effectiveness of using dredged material for beach nourishment to see if the method can be used to manage erosion issues throughout the Great Lakes.
Photo credit: Jenny Hanson, USGS
Photo credit: Jenny Hanson, USGS
The shoreline, beaches, and infrastructure in Duluth, Minnesota have been degraded along the Minnesota Point barrier island because of high water levels and heavy wave action. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is exploring the beneficial use of dredge material for beach nourishment on the Lake Superior side of the barrier island.
The USACE collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to collect bathymetry and terrestrial lidar data of beach and near shore areas pre- and post-beach nourishment (Figure 1). The goal of the pre- and post-beach nourishment surveys were to establish pre-nourishment conditions to evaluate movement of placed material and overall changes to the barrier island post placement of dredge material.
The USGS has collected bathymetric elevation data for the shallow water depths using a single-beam sonar, a multibeam sonar in water depths that are greater than 2-meters, and land surface elevation data was collected with a boat mounted lidar. Finally, the USGS has published XYZ and LAS datasets and digital elevation models (DEM) of the survey areas referenced to the International Great Lakes Datum of 1985 (IGLD85; https://doi.org/10.5066/P9JH0O1X). The published data can be used by the USACE to evaluate the effectiveness of using dredged material for beach nourishment to see if the method can be used to manage erosion issues throughout the Great Lakes.
Photo credit: Jenny Hanson, USGS
Photo credit: Jenny Hanson, USGS