Coastal monitoring and analysis
Our coastal monitoring & analysis team conducts surveys to map and monitor Washington's marine coastline. Each project has a different purpose, ranging from developing mapping baselines for our coastal shorelines and the sea floor to repeated monitoring of specific areas track changes in coastal morphology through time.
Projects around the state
Here is a look at some of the past and current projects that we are involved with around the state:
Monitoring sand drift along the Columbia River
We work with regional partners to survey the beaches of the Columbia River. We study how these beaches have been changing over time to support the sustainability of our coastal communities.
Mapping bluffs and beaches
We collected data at 16 sites, spanning 135 miles of shoreline. The data was used to produce elevation models of beaches and bluffs. This can provide valuable insights, such as habitat available for forage fish.
Washington coastal erosion hazard assessment
We used funding provided by the Washington Military Department's Emergency Management Division to conduct a coastal erosion risk assessment of Washington’s marine shorelines. We identified erosion hazards by assessing shoreline change rates for a 630 mile stretch of coast, using aerial imagery collected between 2006 and 2019.
Explore the web viewer to learn more.
Cobble berm monitoring
We monitor several cobble berms that protect vulnerable lands from erosion. These structures mimic natural processes by absorbing wave energy and helping trap sand. Learn more about the cobble berm monitoring.
Shoalwater Bay berm monitoring
We surveyed the north shore of Willapa Bay to monitor how a 1.5 mile-long constructed berm changed over time.
Learn more about our Shoalwater Bay berm monitoring.
Makah Bay shoreline assessment
We contracted with the Makah Tribe to conduct a historical shoreline change analysis of Makah Bay as well as collect high-resolution topographic-bathymetric surveys of the bay. The project helped the Tribe understand how their ocean beaches have changed over the past several decades and obtain the information they needed to create an engineered restoration plan at a known erosional area to help protect the ecological, economic, and cultural function of the site. Read the full report.
Elwha River delta monitoring
We’ve partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor Elwha River Delta’s beach and nearshore elevation changes. The sediment influx has expanded the delta, reduced shoreline erosion, and created new wildlife habitats. Visit the USGS website for more info.
Clallam County bluff erosion monitoring
We conducted three high-resolution boat-based lidar surveys of the Dungeness and Elwha bluffs in 2012-2013, with a follow-up on the Dungeness bluffs in 2015. Repeat surveys allow us to quantify erosion and pinpoint its locations, helping to understand erosion processes, timescales, and potential infrastructure hazards.
Learn more about the Clallam County bluff erosion monitoring.
Data products available
Our data products are publicly available. A selection of products from previous projects and research is available below.
- Southwest Washington and Oregon beach and shoreline change plots
- Coastal erosion hazard assessment using historical aerial imagery (2006-2019)
- Puget Sound beach and bluff high-resolution DEMs from boat-based Lidar
- Puget Sound grain size distribution derived from Cobble Cam
- Sea level rise maps
- Washaway Beach shoreline change prediction map
- Coastline Assessment to Support Ecological and Economic Resilience of a Tribal Community on the Northern Washington Coast – Olympic Coast, Makah Tribe (November 2022)
- North Cove Dynamic Revetment Monitoring: Winter 2018-2019 – Pacific County (June 2019)
- Mapping Bluffs and Beaches of Puget Sound to Quantify Sediment Supply using boat-based lidar (September 2018)
- Coastal morphology change in response to bulkhead removal at Edgewater Beach, South Puget Sound (February 2018)
- Shoalwater Bay berm monitoring: 2014-2016 assessment – Pacific County (August 2017)
- Mapping and monitoring bluff erosion with boat-based Lidar and the development of a sediment budget and erosion model for the Elwha and Dungeness littoral cells in Clallam County (July 2014)
- Multibeam echosounder and mobile laser scanning data report for Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning – Olympic Coast, Wahkiakum County, and mouth of the Columbia River (July 2013)
- 2012-2013 Olympic Peninsula open coast beach data collection – analysis, and archiving for Washington Department of Natural Resources Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Project; done in support with Quinault and Quileute tribal governments (July 2013)
We have a wide variety of informative presentations available upon request. They highlight previous projects and research about Washington’s coastal shorelines such as:
- Coastal monitoring of erosion hot spots in Pacific County (May 2024)
- Beach monitoring near Kalaloch in Olympic National Park for applications in nature-based coastal protection engineering designs (February 2024)
- Coastline change at Cape Alava spanning the Ozette Reservation for protection of recreational and cultural resources (February 2024)
- Sediment Transport and Bluff Erosion along South Beach, San Juan Island National Historical Park (February 2024)
- Evaluating Puget Sound Beach Services for Restoration and Protection (October 2023)
- Coastal stabilization and restoration along a high-energy eroded shoreline using nature-based features at North Cove, Washington (October 2023)
- Monitoring a nature-based dynamic revetment in a high-energy marine environment (October 2023)
- Using Boat-Based LiDAR and Structure-from-Motion to Analyze Erosion and Morphology of Bluffs at Dungeness, WA (April 2023)
- A Quarter Century (1997-2022) of Nearshore-Beach-Dune Observations: Coastal Change in the Columbia River Littoral Cell (December 2022)
- Coastal zone mapping and monitoring (March 2017)
- Coastal impacts of the 2015-2016 El Niño winter (July 2016)
- Increasing coastal resiliency of bluff-top development through high-resolution imagery and information (April 2016)
- Coastal zone mapping along the Elwha drift cell, Central Strait of Juan de Fuca (April 2016)
- High resolution bathymetric and topographic survey to inform restoration efforts in Port Gamble Bay (April 2016)
- A geospatial approach to prioritizing drift cells for strategic protection, restoration and enhancement (April 2016)
- Mobile laser scanning and multi-beam sonar for coastal zone mapping and resource management (March 2013)
In addition to presentations, we also have a number of useful posters available upon request. They provide information about various topics including:
- Columbia River littoral cell beach monitoring: Informing coastal resilience work (March 2024)
- Coastal erosion hazard assessment results along the Strait of Juan de Fuca shoreline of Clallam County, WA (April 2022)
- Delineating and monitoring bluff toe positions from boat based lidar to quantify morphology change at Edgewater Beach, WA (April 2022)
- West Whidbey Island bluff change between 2015, 2018, and 2021 from boat-based lidar (April 2022)
- West Whidbey Island topo-bathymetric survey reveals diversity of nearshore sediment, morphology, and habitat (April 2022)
- Integration of survey platforms and methods for mapping an extremely shallow river channel reservoir for water resource management (March 2017)
- High resolution bathymetric and topographic survey to inform restoration efforts in Port Gamble Bay (April 2016)
- Initial characterization and comparison of beach sediment throughout Puget Sound (April 2016)
- Initial comparison of armored and unarmored beaches from boat-based Lidar (April 2014)
- Mobile laser scanning and mult-ibeam sonar for coastal zone mapping and resource management (March 2013)
Related links
Contact information
Heather Weiner (she/her)
Coastal Geomatics Scientist
heather.weiner@ecy.wa.gov
360-490-5562