Beach Changes at Milford and Fairfield Beaches, Connecticut, 1962-1971

Beach profile line data collected as part of the Beach Evaluation Program were examined for sites located at Milford and Fairfield, Connecticut. A total of seven profile lines were examined using standard measurements such as mean sea level intercept, above mean sea level volume, and linear wave refraction plots, as well as empirical eigenfunction analyses. All these methods showed erosion at all the lines at Milford, while Fairfield showed accretion at two out of three lines. Erosion rate for both beaches varied from 0.096 to 2.886 meters per year. The most significant factors affecting the short-term variability in beach volume are storm activity and wind direction. Each of the beaches is affected by longshore transport; however, transport at Milford is limited due to high-density shorefront housing and associated roads and seawalls, Fairfield favors northeast transport, but rates are unknown. Sediment supply for the beaches is limited, but both beaches are subject to onshore-offshore sediment transport. Neither of the beaches showed any significant seasonal changes. The characteristics of the Connecticut beaches differ markedly form other, less sheltered beaches studied in this program, as they appear relatively stable and dominated by long-term trends.