A coastal engineering study of Indian RiverJInlet, Delaware.

A field study was conducted in order to determine the causes of and possible solutions to various coastal engineering problems at Indian River Inlet, Delaware. The stabilization of the inlet in 1938 has interfered with the natural littoral processes. The major problems present are the erosion of the beach north of the inlet, the erosion of the inlet channel banks, and the loss of sand onto the ebb tidal shoal. Information on sediment movement trends was obtained by computing volumes of erosion and accretion from historical charts and conducting a series of three hydrographic surveys. The sediment movement patterns were documented with a sand tracer study. The conclusions of this study also include an approximate sand budget. (A)