Nature-based Resilience for Gulf Coast Communities: Using Regional Sediment Management to Sustain the Coast

This briefing by Derek Brockbank of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) argues that shoreline recession in the Gulf Coast is caused by human activity benefiting the navigation industry and advocates for Regional Sediment Management (RSM) and nature-based resilience to sustain the coast.

• Shoreline recession in the Gulf Coast is not a natural occurrence but is driven by human activities intended to support the navigation industry.
• Various Gulf states are implementing sediment management efforts, including Louisiana's State Master Plan and sediment diversions, Florida's beach restoration and the Jacksonville RSM Center of Excellence, Alabama's proposed law for using dredged material from Mobile Bay, Texas's use of Galveston Ship channel material for beaches, and Mississippi's use of Alabama dredge material for barrier island restoration.
• To support nature-based resilience, the author suggests that Congress should reform the USACE "federal standard" of least cost disposal, reform the Benefit-Cost-Ratio (BCR) to move away from single-benefit project designs, pass the Living Shorelines Act (H.R. 3115) and the Coastal Communities Adaptation Act (H.R. 1317), and prioritize upfront federal investment over post-storm funding.

APA

Brockbank, D. (2019). Nature-based Resilience for Gulf Coast Communities: Using Regional Sediment Management to Sustain the Coast. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/files/Derek_Brockbank_062519.pdf

Chicago

Brockbank, Derek. Nature-based Resilience for Gulf Coast Communities: Using Regional Sediment Management to Sustain the Coast. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2019. https://www.eesi.org/files/Derek_Brockbank_062519.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brockbank |first1=Derek |title=Nature-based Resilience for Gulf Coast Communities: Using Regional Sediment Management to Sustain the Coast |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=24 June 2019 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Derek_Brockbank_062519.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brockbank2019naturebased, author = {Brockbank, Derek}, title = {{Nature-based Resilience for Gulf Coast Communities: Using Regional Sediment Management to Sustain the Coast}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2019}, month = jun, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Derek_Brockbank_062519.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }