Mitigation Through Surf Enhancement/Acknowledgements

Mitigation Through Surf Enhancement An Early History of Pratte's Reef

Home Acknowledgements Abstract Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Conclusions Appendix A Appendix B Bibliography

Note: This paper documents the background and theory behind an Artificial Surfing Reef (ASR) that was constructed in El Segundo, CA in 2000. Evaluation of the effects of this reef determined that it did not improve surfing conditions and has led to its removal, with phase one of the removal process beginning in 2008. For more information, see the article Pratte's Reef

I would like to thank my brother, Erik Nelsen, for motivating this project by sharing with me his true appreciation for the intrinsic value of the ocean's waves. I would like to thank Dr. Peter Howd of the Duke University Marine Lab for his guidance, creativity and commitment as an advisor, without his assistance this project would not have been possible. I would also like to thank Dr. Mike Orbach, also from the Duke University Marine Lab, for his interest and insights throughout this project. I would like to extend my appreciation to Michelle Kremer of the Surfrider Foundation and Leslie Ewing of the California Coastal Commission for assistance in sorting out this interesting story of coastal management. I would like to thank Dr. James Kirby of the University of Delaware for allowing me to use REF/DIF for my computer modeling. In addition, I would like to thank Mason O. Cox III at Duke University and Bill O'Reilly at U.C. Berkeley for assisting my use of computer modeling employed in this study. I am also indebted to David Skelley of Skelley Engineering for his advice and information regarding the construction of the first artificial surfing reef.