Beach sand dumping

[Moonrover]

Will attempt to make my question readable, but first I need to give some background.

While wishfully watching one of the many beach/surf metal detecting U-Tube videos, I noticed a quick shot of a work barge coming close to the shore. The metal detecting guy briefly said something like "Here comes another sand barge".

Now my question: Assuming the barge was part of an on-going project to maintain a generous swimming beach, where does the sand come from? Might it be sucked up from deep water? In that case it could contain stuff other than sand, like scattered remains of wrecked ships, yes?

Then to further the idea; does wave action bring heavy items toward the beach or drag seaward? Does the addition of sand alter the beach mechanics enough to move a productive jewelry trough farther out?

I am fascinated by beach and surf hunting. First there is the study of watching how people potentially "contribute" jewelry and coinage to the beach, then there is the need to understand how costal mechanics winnows the deposited material in troughs and channels.

As you may have guessed, I have never been on a beach with metal detecting in mind.

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[Surfview]

In my area of Florida sometimes the beach re-nourishment is done in partnership with inlet dredging or ICW dredging. They dredge the sand from the inlet and pipe it to the beach. I have no personal experience other than reports of some great finds coming from dredge material from Florida inlets. Everything from cannonballs to Spanish coins to huge prehistoric sharks teeth (obviously not metal, but treasure to collectors)

Sorry I don't have the expertise to say how the material we are looking for gets moved in and out of troughs and different areas of the surf.

I'm hoping all the heavier stuff (gold) moves to an area right in front of my coil. :-)

 

[billinstuart]

Inlet dredging spoil is all recently deposited stuff carried by surface currents..it's unlikely there's anything of value (old) in it. Beach renourishment material (notice I didn't say "sand") from offshore sites may be different, but the dredge sites are usually in fairly deep water with no obstructions near them. It's also unlikely they'd pump up anything of value, unless you're looking for fish poop and ground up shell.

All the gubment does is ruin our beaches, in the name of protection. The corps of engineers is absolutely the most incompetent bunch of buffoons on the planet.

 

[Moonrover]

Assuming from the above insight that the barge dumped material may not be clear sand. That means it contains organic material (stinky stuff) and silt-sized fines. Both of which are beach killers. A dead beach is one that can no longer drain back the surface water except by water flowing on the surface. The dead beach can't soak in the water then allow it to drain seaward. Simple words ... mucky beach. I'm not an expert on beaches. Just finished reading an article on the Internet about ill informed beach saving tactics that are actually killing the formerly clean white beaches. So true that you can't mess with mother nature to suit yourself.

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