Baseline Beach Surveys

As part of the programme specification, all beach sites receive a full baseline beach survey once every five years, with the exception of beach management plan sites which receive an annual baseline. Baseline beach surveys are conducted to a consistent standard at all sites, based on a combination of beach profiles at 50m intervals and continuous spot height data collected at approximately 1m intervals across the whole beach to the level of MLWS. Surveys will be sufficiently detailed to enable development of digital surface models; these will enable profiles to be drawn at any location.

Digital surface model of Loe Bar, Cornwall, created from the baseline survey data.

The continuous data also includes a feature code for each spot height data point recorded. This allows the creation of sediment distribution maps for most beaches. Subsequent regular monitoring surveys will typically sample the baseline programme at defined spatial and temporal intervals. This approach will provide the opportunity to add new profiles at later stages in the programme, if required, whilst maintaining a consistent historical baseline with those sites that are surveyed on a regular basis. This approach will maximise programme flexibility.