State of Maine's Beaches in 2009

Laudholm Beach, Wells

Four of five beach profiles (LH01-03, LH05, Figure 44) were available for analysis of beach recovery. LH04 was abandoned in 2006. At LH01, the front profile stake was lost, and profiling was resumed at the back stake in June 2007. Profile data were available from April 1 and May 20, 2006, April 20 and June 23, 2007 (immediate post-storm), April 11, 2008, and May 1, 2009.

LH01 = B-

Figure 45

At LH01, the profile stake was lost during the Patriots' Day Storm, thus it is impossible to compare the profiling started in June 2007 (back stake) with pre-storm profiling from 2006 (Figure 45). Using the June 2007 profile as the baseline, by April 2008, the post-storm profile had recovered, most notably at the 50 m mark, where the storm caused the formation of a trough, and in the offshore (seaward of 100 m), where the sand elevation recovered. The 2009 profile maintained roughly the same shape as the 2008 profile. The profile seems stable since the 2007 storm, but has only undergone slight increases in elevation.

LH02 = B

Figure 46

The Patriots' Day Storm eroded the majority of the profile, by about 20-30 cm, out to about 125 m offshore (Figure 46). By 2008, the majority of the profile demonstrated good recovery. However, in 2009, the profile eroded along its length, though it did maintain elevations above the 2007 post-storm shape. This erosion was likely due to the mid-April and early May 2009 storms.

LH03 = B

Figure 47

The pre-storm profile was eroded along its length, and the dune eroded landward slightly in response to the storm (Figure 47). The upper portion of the profile added elevation by 2008, but the middle portion (between 50-80 m offshore) continued to deepen. In 2009, the profile had gained more elevation and slightly exceeded the 2007 post-storm profile along its length.

LH05 = B-

Figure 48

At LH05, the profile lost about 50 cm of sediment along the profile, and again the dune eroded landward in response to the storm (Figure 48). By April 2008, the upper portion of the profile (from 40 m offshore landward), had recovered very well, and gained elevation and built seaward; however, in the offshore, the profile did not respond the same way. This may be due to offshore outcrops and cobble deposits. The 2009 profile showed some dune and beach erosion along the upper portion of the profile, and did not change much in the offshore.

Summary

Overall, Laudholm Beach appears to have recovered well from the storm, with some of the profiles not recovering quite as well as others. However, satisfactory to above-average recovery did occur at all profiles.

Overall grade = B

Contents Introduction Beach Responses Discussion Conclusions References

Last updated on November 19, 2009