Performance of Upham Beach T-groin Project and Its Impact to the Downdrift Beach

The field of 5 T-groins installed at Upham Beach was designed to maintain a portion of the nourished beach at this chronically eroding location without negative impacts to the downdrift beach. The T-groin project area was renourished in September 2006 and all the structures were buried. During the initial 3 months after the nourishment, rapid beach erosion at the north segment, as typical of Upham Beach, was measured. Since all the structures were buried, this rapid erosion should not be directly related to the T-groin field. The downdrift beach remained largely stable to slightly accretionary, benefiting from the sand supply from the north. No direct impact of the structures to the downdrift beach was measured during the initial 3 months.