RI Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook (PDF)

  New guide helps RI homeowners, businesses protect property from flooding and erosion

Losing Ground: Coastal Erosion in Rhode Island (PDF) – Did you know that 50 percent of Rhode Island's shoreline sediments are susceptible to erosion? Or that with the increasing rainfall that comes with climate change, Block Island's bluffs will face more rapid erosion? This presentation by Janet Freedman, coastal geologist with the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, describes some of the erosion threats Rhode Island's coastal areas are facing, as well as efforts the state is undertaking to help municipalities and property owners address these problems.

Shoreline Change Maps

Show shoreline rates of change that will be applied to regulatory programs to address issues including setbacks of activities from coastal features.

Section 980 of the Salt Pond Region Special Area Management Plan was recently revised to address the allowance of alternative experimental erosion control methods as a temporary experimental use due to significant erosion of shoreline features in Matunck and Misquamicut. Effective October 7, 2013 the policies and regulations in Section 980 now enable the CRMC to authorize alternative experimental erosion control methods as temporary uses in these two shoreline areas.

Experimental Coastal Erosion Control Application Guidance Document (PDF)

Salt Pond SAMP Section 980 – Experimental Coastal Erosion Control (PDF)

• Working Draft – October 26, 2012 (PDF)

Inter-Office Memorandum about the February 18, 2011 joint work session– February 25, 2011 (PDF)
CRMC to hold joint work session with Town of SK on erosion – May 31, 2011
Follow-up CRMC Report on Matunuck Erosion Issue – June 2011 (PDF)
South Kingstown petition to reclassify a portion of the Matunuck shoreline (PDF)
Notice of April 10, 2012 Public Hearing on Town of South Kingstown application 2011-09-005 (PDF) to construct a seawall
Town response for Special Exception regarding seawall application (PDF)
Notice of April 24, 2012 Public Hearing on Town of South Kingstown petition for Matunuck shoreline designation
CRMC Staff Report, April 20, 2011 (PDF)
CRMC Staff report for seawall - application 2011-09-005 (PDF)
CRMC Staff report for petition - application 2011-12-017 (PDF)
Matunuck Report and Budget Proposal 5/8/12 (PDF)
NY Times article about the Matunuck Erosion issue

Appendices (PDF):

• Section 1: March 29, 2011 Transcript (Portion)
• Section 2: Shoreline Armoring Impacts
• Section 3: Newspaper Article and Links
• Section 4: FEMA Coastal Construction Manual – Page 7-18 Floodborne Disease, Cover & Table of Contents
• Section 5: Matunuch Coastal Area Report, South Kingstown Planning, April 2010
• Section 6: CRMC Inter-Office Memo, February 25, 2011
• Section 7: RICRMP Section 200.1
• Section 8: RICRMP Section 200.2
• Section 9: RICRMP Section 145
• Section 10: RICRMP Section 325
• Section 11: US Congressional Finding, 16 U.S.C. §1452
• Section 12: USGS National Assessment of Shoreline, Change 2010-1118
• Section 13: RIDEM Recreational Priorities Map of South Kingstown
• Section 14: Wikitravel – Matunuck
• Section 15: RI Shore Access – Jerusalem
• Section 16: Ocean State Anglers, Edge Anglers, Northeast Saltwater, StripedBass.com
• Section 17: Riverfacts.com, Seayaker.com
• Section 18: Surf-forcast.com, Globalsurfers.com, Mutunuck Surf Shop, Magic Seaweed, Surfers Village
• Section 19: Ilmare24ore, Atlanticsail.com
• Section 20: RI State Building Code SBC-1, 2010, ASCE 24-05 (Portion)

Map depicting the eligible parcels in Matunuck for CRMC "Temporary Assents" (PDF)

Correspondence

• 1/27/11 – Town of South Kingstown Resolution concerning the Matunuck erosion issue (PDF)
• 4/28/11 – Letter to CRMC from the South Kingstown Town Manager Stephen A. Alfred (PDF)
• 5/3/11 – Letter to CRMC from Save the Bay Executive Director Jonathan Stone (PDF)
• 5/25/11 – Letter to CRMC from Save the Bay Executive Director Jonathan Stone (PDF)

Submerged Lands Survey – Updated 2000 (PDF)