Picture of beach reclamation by Jacob.

Beach reclamation is one action that humans can take to help stop erosion at a beach and repair damage that erosion has already done. In most reclamation projects, sand is taken from the bottom of the ocean and pumped back up onto the beach to replace sand that has been lost. Reclamation takes a lot of time and equipment.

Large machines that are like vacuums are used in lakes and rivers or even in the ocean. They suck up sand and then the sand is taken to the beach where it is needed. This is called dredging.

Dredging costs a lot of money, but if it is not done, then the plants and animals that live on the beach will die. It has to be done carefully, too, so that when the new sand is put on the beach, it does not kill any of the animals. Sometimes the sand has to be cleaned so that it doesn't contain anything harmful to the animals and plants.

There are other types of machines that help rebuild beaches, but they are expensive, too. Humans must be careful to help clean our beaches and rebuild them when they need it. If we do not reclaim our beaches, we will not have beaches to enjoy.

Want to learn more about beach reclamation or how you can get involved? Visit this site:  http://www.beachreclamation.com/.

Pictures from http://commons.wikimedia.org.