Study of alternatives about the actions in the coastal zone of Almenara (Castellón)

In order to improve the protection in the coastal zone along the Almenara beaches, with a approximately long of 3 km, this study of alternatives has been done in association with the company Tecnomediterránea.

The issue about the regresion in this beach was originally caused by the construction of the Port of Burriana. The problem has been focalized along the 1000 further north meters after the prolongation of the groynes in the channeling of the “gola de la Llosa”, that is the north boundary of the beach. The current solution is a longitudinal riprap defense of 650 meters that is not enough.

Once the design parameters are settled down, both about the boundary conditions and coastal dynamics of the beach as about the geometry of the structures that could be designed, a total of 8 alternatives are presented. Then, a evalutation of each of them is performed, following several criteria: functionals, environmental, aesthetical/landscape and economics.

On the basis of the analysis of alternatives, a combined solution is given. On the one hand, it considers for the north part, with more regresion, the construction of three short groynes that makes the beach more stiffened, plus one larger to close the section. Moreover, a nourishment of gravels is planned to get the equilibrium profile.

For the other hand, in the south section, a dynamic solution is presented, that avoids the loss of sediments but generate that the gravel build up on the southern tip. To solve this issue a plan to recirculate the material is made.