AFeeder bluff is a coastalcliff orheadland that, through erosion and weathering, provides sediment to down-current beaches as a result oflittoral drift. First discussed atWestern Washington University, the termfeeder bluff is primarily used to describe eroding bluffs in thePuget Sound region of the United States.[1]
A bluff will be more susceptible toweathering anderosion if it contains unconsolidatedsediment (such as silt or sand), softer (or moreerodible) rock,fissures orfractures. Wave activity and power will also contribute to the rate of erosion. A bluff will retreat away from the ocean as the erosion processes continue.
Although coastal processes can be complex, feeder bluffs are recognized as an important source of sediment for building and maintaining nearby beaches. Practices ofarmoring beaches and bluffs against erosion have caused beaches and habitats to erode away due to the decreased availability of sand and gravel.[2] One of the goals of the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project is to reverse this process by identifying and removingbulkheads from beaches and bluffs.[3] In 2013 theWashington State Department of Ecology completed mapping and categorization of feeder bluffs in the Puget Sound, finding they make up about 426 Miles (17%) of the shoreline.[4] The data has been made available at theWashington State Coast Atlas.
