Evaluation of a small volume renourishment strategy on a narrow Mediterranean beach

A renourishment strategy for width maintenance of a Mediterranean beach was evaluated using historical aerial photographs and topographic surveys. The 5.5 km Can Picafort beach (Balearic Islands, Spain) consists of urbanised areas with associated anthropogenic pressures, and a Natural Park extending for about 1.5 km where a backshore dune and a lagoon system have been preserved. With the exception of this protected area the beach has been recurrently nourished over the past 20 years using relatively small volumes of sand (< 40 000 m3). Historical shoreline analysis provides evidence of a reduction in shoreline variability since the beach fill program was started in 1987. The last replenishment, in May 2002, provided an opportunity for assessing this nourishment strategy. Longevity estimations based on beach fill performance indicate that partial regenerations have only a limited life span (few years). Moreover, it is suggested that decreased shoreline variability could be a side-effect related to the ‘extra’ amount of sediment supplied to the active beach. Both aspects should be considered in beach nourishment decision-making.