Coastal Processes FAQ – Is there a difference between a jetty and a groin?
These two terms are often used interchangeably to refer to the short, shore-perpendicular structures that are built along a shoreline to hold sand in place. However, technically speaking, groins and jetties are not the same thing. Groins are the smaller shore-perpendicular structures, built to trap sand and stabilize a sandy beach. Jetties are large structures typically used to stabilize inlet channels. Groins A groin is constructed across the beach, perpendicular to the shoreline, and is designed to trap sand moving in the longshore transport system. Sometimes, the term jetty (a structure used to stabilize an inlet) is misused to refer to a groin. The coastal structures used to hold sand in place in Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach are technically groins, although many people refer to them as jetties. Jetties, as explained below, are larger structures used to maintain the opening to a navigational channel such as a tidal inlet. As sand accumulates on the updrift side of the groin, the
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- Coastal Processes FAQ - Is there a difference between a jetty and a groin?
