This class reviews the geologic processes shaping Puget Sound beaches, such as erosion and sediment transport, and the influence of human activities on these processes. This year we’ve updated the class to include more emphasis on factors influencing the selection and design of erosion control measures.  We will look at a variety of softer techniques that are being used to reduce the impacts of conventional shoreline structures. You’ll learn about recent guidance regarding the design and the review of soft shoreline and beach restoration projects. The class will include numerous examples that help you better understand the factors influencing a particular site and that highlight reasons for successful, and unsuccessful, shoreline projects.

(6.5 CM AICP Credits/CEP Points)

Lunch is provided.

Instructor: Hugh Shipman has been a coastal geologist with the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program of the Department of Ecology since 1989. His interests include shoreline erosion and longshore transport, coastal hazards, beach nourishment and restoration, and the environmental impacts of shoreline modification. Hugh provides technical assistance to local, state, and federal agencies; participates in a variety of technical and scientific workgroups; and educates property owners and coastal communities about shoreline processes. Hugh received his bachelor's degree in Earth Sciences and Engineering from Dartmouth in 1981 and his masters in Geological Sciences from the University of Washington in 1986. Hugh grew up near the coast of Maine, but moved to the Puget Sound region in 1983.