Increased Utilization of Storm Surge Barriers
A Research Agenda on Estuary Impacts
Philip Orton (Stevens Institute of Technology)
David Ralston (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Bram van Prooijen (TU Delft - Coastal Engineering)
David Secor (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science)
Neil Ganju (United States Geological Survey )
Ziyu Chen (Stevens Institute of Technology)
Sarah Fernald (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve)
Bennett Brooks (Consensus Building Institute)
Kristin Marcell (Consensus Building Institute)
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Abstract
Rising coastal flood risk and recent disasters are driving interest in the construction of gated storm surge barriers worldwide, with current studies recommending barriers for at least 11 estuaries in the United States alone. Surge barriers partially block estuary-ocean exchange with infrastructure across an estuary or its inlet and include gated areas that are closed only during flood events. They can alter the stratification and salt intrusion, change sedimentary systems, and curtail animal migration and ecosystem connectivity, with impacts growing larger with increasing gate closures. Existing barriers are being used with increasing frequency due to sea level rise. New barrier proposals typically come with maximum closure frequency recommendations, yet the future adherence to them is uncertain. Given that the broader environmental effects and coupled-human dynamics of surge barriers are not well-understood, we present an interdisciplinary research agenda for this increasingly prevalent modification to our coastal zone.
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