Long-term Monitoring of Dune Stabilization on Eareckson AS, Shemya Island, Alaska.

Initial Lateral Clear Zone (LCZ) safety enhancement began in 1982. Clearing and grading of existing vegetated dunes exposed a sand layer to wind erosion. Attempting to fix the problem of dunes in the LCZ created the more severe problem of dunes and sand on the active runway surface. Seeding efforts failed as wind erosion would strip seed beds prior to establishment. Eighty acres were affected by the initial clearing effort. Forty more acres were scheduled for clearing in 1987.

 A beach wildrye, Leymus mollis, transplanting project was suggested by the Alaska Plant Materials Center (PMC). Transplant projects for this species were never tried prior to this attempt.  Transplanting on the east end of the LCZ began in May 1987 and was completed in June 1987. Stabilization was declared in the fall of 1987. The west end of the LCZ was not scheduled for the transplanting and continued to plague runway maintenance.

 The two areas were monitored from 1988 until 2008. The east end of the LCZ has maintained an effective vegetative cover, redeveloped an effective and natural foredune and maintained the desired and designed ten percent grade. The west end of the LCZ, however, has reverted to natural dune complex similar to what existed prior to the safety enhancement project conducted in 1982.

 This project, along with support from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and later the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard allowed the PMC and this author to develop the use of beach wildrye into an effective tool for coastal erosion control and restoration. The importance of the Department of Defense in this progressive research effort cannot be overstated. They deserve credit for funding and allowing the research to continue to the point where the technique has become an actual dune/coastal restoration practice.