This study will assess the shoreline problems and provide possible Coastal Storm Risk Management alternatives to reduce risk to infrastructure located along approximately 15 miles of coastline of Puerto Rico island-wide. The study originally considered 12 locations identified by Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) to have potential for a feasibility study. These areas are located in San Juan, Vega Baja, Arecibo, Aguadilla, Aguada, Rincón, Anasco, Mayaguez, Cabo Rojo, Loiza, Luquillo, and Humacao.

Narrowing of the study areas began with assessing areas of high density of infrastructure at risk from coastal storms which would be an indicator of high potential benefits under a Federal project.  As a result of this preliminary screening, the Puerto Rico Coastal study will focus on parts of the San Juan coastline and the Rincón coastline.  The San Juan coastline encompasses approximately 8 miles of shoreline from El Boqueron to Boca de Cangrejos and the Rincón coastline from Punta Ensenada to just south of Stella (approximately 2.5 miles). In addition, the team will consider low cost alternatives that can be used to protect a segment of the major hurricane/tsunami evacuation routes in Mayaguez (PR-102) and Humacao (Hwy 3).  The focus areas of study are shown below.

Hurricane and coastal storm damages including inundation, erosion, and wave attack along the San Juan and Rincón coastlines threaten infrastructure and beach access for recreation and contribute to public safety hazards. Infrastructure is located along large portions of the study area, including commercial businesses, hotels, condominiums, residential homes, roads, public parkland, and public beach access points. Loss of protective beaches and dunes due to shoreline recession threatens infrastructure. Homeowners and hotels seeking to protect their property have constructed some shore protection measures, such as seawalls, large stone revetments and gabions. Some of the structures and materials used are inadequate to provide significant protection and are often constructed in an uncoordinated fashion without regard to system-wide coastal processes, exacerbating erosion on adjacent shorelines

Section 204 of the Flood Control Act of 1970, Public Law 91-611 granted authority for the Puerto Rico coastal storm risk management (CSRM) study. Study funds were appropriated under Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 115-123. Corps feasibility studies under this authorization are by law required to be completed in 3 years and with $3M or less, unless waivers are requested and approved.  The study schedule and milestones are shown below.  The study will examine alternative solutions, and will recommend one plan that meets Corps criteria to be the Tentatively Selected Plan.  If the alternative is supported by Corps decisions makers, it will receive an approved Chief’s Report recommending it for construction.  The plan will then need to receive appropriations for construction.

Solutions could be comprised of, but are not limited to, a combination of one or more features or measures:

• Non-structural management measures include: no-action, acquisition of land and structures, relocation of structures, flood proofing of structures and elevation of structures.
• Hard Structural management measures include: breakwaters/reef, revetment, groins, and seawall.
• Soft Structural management measures include (note that beaches and dunes are natural and nature-based features): beach/dune nourishment, geotubes, perched beaches, and dune core (hard structure buried by sand).

• December 2018 - Alternative milestone
• December 2018 to April 2020 - Plan formulation, engineering and economic modeling
• April 2020 - Tentatively selected plan milestone
• June 2020 - Draft report and NEPA - public technical and policy review
• October 2020 - Agency decision milestone
• January 2021 - Final report - State and agency overview
• October 2021 - Chief of Engineers report
• 2021/2022 - Project engineering and design, construction