South Atlantic Division > Missions > Sustainability > South Atlantic Coastal Study (SACS)

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South Atlantic Coastal Study - SACS

Technical Study Products

There will be a total of 12 study products in this study. Information on each technical product will be provided here when available.

Regional Sediment Management (RSM) Optimization Update

The 2020 South Atlantic Division (SAD) Regional Sediment Management (RSM) Optimization Update builds on the efforts of the 2016 SAD RSM Optimization Pilot (OP) which was developed to help identify additional means to streamline existing processes and ensure solutions are increasingly economical and environmentally sustainable across U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) authorities and missions.

RSM Update

Sand Availability and Needs Determination (SAND)

The Sand Availability and Needs Determination (SAND) study quantifies sand needs and available sand resources for all current beach nourishment projects, both federal and non-federal, in the South Atlantic Division (SAD) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the next 50 years.

SAND Report
DMMA Offloading and Sediment Exchange Study
DMMA Offloading and Sediment Exchange Study Appendices

Planning Aid Report

Report of priority biological resource habitats in the South Atlantic region that are vulnerable to harm from coastal storms and sea level rise with a focus on areas used by federally-listed species. Report will also include a description of risk to coastal National Wildlife Refuges

Planning Aid Report

Measures & Costs Library

Detailed list of CSRM measures and their costs developed to a screening level for use in USACE and stakeholder planning

State Appendices

An appendix will also be provided for each state and made available here

Alabama
Georgia
Florida
Mississippi

North Carolina
South Carolina
Puerto Rico
U.S Virgin Islands

Focus Area Action Strategies (FAAS)

FAAS will use SACS products in combination with other resources to develop actionable risk reduction strategies with stakeholders. FAAS will serve as examples of how vulnerabilities in other high risk locations can be addressed.

Study Overview

The study will be modeled closely after the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study (NACCS), a Congressional response and precedent-setting vulnerability and flood risk-reduction study completed for the north Atlantic coastline in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The study will conduct regional analyses of coastal risk and identify initial measures/costs that can address vulnerabilities with emphasis on regional sediment management (RSM) as an actionable strategy to sustainably maintain or enhance current levels of coastal storm risk reduction.

Study Goals

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1. Provide a Common Operating Picture of Coastal Risk
- Provide decision-makers at all levels with a comprehensive and consistent regional assessment of coastal risk.
2. Identify High-Risk Locations and Focus Current and Future Resources
- Enable resources to be focused on the most vulnerable areas.
3. Identify and Assess Risk Reduction Actions
- Assess actions that would reduce risk to vulnerable coastal populations.
4. Promote and Support Resilient Coastal Communities
- Ensure a sustainable coastal landscape system, considering future sea level rise scenarios and climate change.
- Provide information to stakeholders to optimize existing efforts to reduce risk.
5. Promote Sustainable Projects and Programs
- Develop and provide consistent foundational elements to support coastal studies and projects.
- Regionally manage projects through Regional Sediment Management and other opportunities.
6. Leverage Supplemental Actions
- Multiple supplemental studies and construction efforts will inform, and be informed by, the SACS.

Authority

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Section 1204, WRDA 2016
- Identify risks and vulnerabilities of [coastal areas within SAD AOR] to increased hurricane and storm damage as a result of sea level rise (SLR).
- (b)(1) Conduct a comprehensive analysis of current coastal storm risk management measures with an emphasis on regional sediment management practices to sustain/enhance current storm protection.
- (b)(3) Recommend measures to address coastal vulnerability of areas affected by SLR.
- (b)(4) Develop a long-term strategy to address increased hurricane/storm damages resulting from SLR and identify opportunities to enhance resiliency and lower risks in –
  - populated areas
  - areas of concentrated economic development; and
  - areas with vulnerable environmental resources
- (c) Submit a report recommending specific and detailed actions

Statement of Study Area

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Over 65,000 miles of tidally influenced coastline in the South Atlantic Division area of responsibility affected by sea level rise (SLR) where hurricane and storm damages are occurring, or are forecast to occur.
- Areas that are not subject to hurricane and storm damage associated with coastal processes are outside the scope of the study (i.e., areas subject to inland/freshwater flooding).

Playlist

Latest Updates

March/April Newsletter Available

Coastal Hazard System Now Available
The Coastal Hazards System (CHS) is a coastal storm hazards data storage and mining system and is now available. It stores comprehensive, high-fidelity, numerical modeling storm-responses such as storm surge, water level, wave height, wave period, wave direction and current magnitude. Please click here for more information.

Request for Photos
We are looking for photos to include within the SACS report. Photos should capture the focus of SACS which is to provide a common understanding of risk from coastal storms and sea level rise to support resilient communities and habitats. We specifically are interested in photos that depict: property, assets, infrastructure, environmental resources and cultural resources in ocean-front, back bay and tidally influenced riverine settings during storm events or during non-storm events. If you have photos that you or your agency/association/associated group has rights to publish or that are public domain, please email SACS@usace.army.mil for further coordination.

Quarterly Progress Briefing
The most recent SACS quarterly progress briefing was held on April 22^nd and covered the Environmental Resources Vulnerability and Risk Analysis, Priority Environmental Area Identification, and Environmental Analysis StoryMap. Slides from the presentation can be found here and a recording is available in the video playlist.

Geoportal
The SACS Geoportal is now live and available to explore here. Various SACS created datasets and web mapping applications are available for viewing.