1.3. Initial environmental evaluation of the project
The engineering design process progressed very quickly with
only some modifications required since it was modeled on the
existing detached breakwaters. The design configuration of new
detached breakwaters was developed using a calibrated software
package called LITPACK. The detached breakwaters would be
located 50 m from the shoreline with each one being 40 m long
with gaps of 60 m. The LITPACK simulations suggested that 30-m
beach widening would accompany the breakwater construction
in order to create tombolos (Fig. 4). The IEE was undertaken in
parallel during the design process. The proposed detached break-waters would not create erosion at adjacent beaches because (a)
the jetty at the southern boundary was so long that it had
completely blocked sediment transport from the south, and (b)
a series of existing detached breakwaters on the northern boundary
had halted alongshore sediment movement to the north.