Beaches/Surge

If any of you are wondering or confused about the Seawall issue. Go down to the beach where you know they are in place today and look at what this mild storm is doing. In some areas the water is already at the foot of the wall and this is where the problem will begin. The water is taking the sand at the base of the walls and making a drop off. Result: No beach! Check it out. I may try to go back and take pics but it seems mother nature is already doing her thing.....

Seawalls = temporary non water proof band aid for a very large and serious laceration.

I would love to see some photos.

revived from an older, close to my heart thread regarding sewalls:

http://www.surfrider.org/seawall/

Bobby:

Could you please post where you are seeing seawalls interacting with the water? I was just in Blue Mountain and did not see it and I would like to see the dynamic. If it is the dunes (sand placed on top of the wall), then I did see that and it will actually lead to more sand on the beach.

Also, the current storm could lead to more sand being moved from offshore areas onto the beach near the toe of the dune (i.e. accelerated back beach recovery). We have seen that effect in other events of this size. We will know for sure after the water levels receed. Thanks in advance.

Brad

I have not ventured down to the water today, but I can tell you it is very blustery and from what I can see of the gulf, very churned up.

Brad,

From the Blue Mountain Beach Walkover, walk toward San Remo area. I stated the water is at the foot of the walls at certain spots. I only noticed this walking back from a drifty surf session. I noticed that this area of Blue Mountain drops off towards the water at a rather radical incline. I agree that these storms will help push sand back on land. But when water meets wall which is very close and this is a pretty mild storm we will have a problem. I guess what I am trying to say is I always heard the Sea walls were bad for beaches and really never understood the complete dynamic. To actually see the drop off is really an eye opener.

I saw a little of that last Fall during some squalls the water was at the base of seawalls before some of them were covered.

I am off on a mission.

I am off on a mission.

I knew you would be.

Onward Sanddune Soldier!!!!

Well, even without the aggressive surf, just to see the sand from one of those fake $40,000 banks of sand (excluding the cost of the underpinnings) being whisked away in a matter of weeks to reveal the underlying wooden pilings (I have photos) is enough to make me puke. It's "crap on the beach" that I can't just pick up by hand and take to a dumpster, like the beach chairs, etc.

Duh, Walton County officials, just go to some of the pseudo-beaches on the Atlantic coast to see how the ignorant attempts at saving personal property has totally screwed up the beach experience for everyone. The example I have quoted most often in the past is Fripp. You'd better not walk on the beach at high tide there unless you want to drown. GULP! The beach is gone at high tide. All that is left is an ugly mound of rocks. So sad.

Brad,

From the Blue Mountain Beach Walkover, walk toward San Remo area. I stated the water is at the foot of the walls at certain spots. I only noticed this walking back from a drifty surf session. I noticed that this area of Blue Mountain drops off towards the water at a rather radical incline. I agree that these storms will help push sand back on land. But when water meets wall which is very close and this is a pretty mild storm we will have a problem. I guess what I am trying to say is I always heard the Sea walls were bad for beaches and really never understood the complete dynamic. To actually see the drop off is really an eye opener.

I actually went the other way to the houses and not the condos, I will make sure and look later this afternoon so THANKS!! I should have known which way you went with the strong westerly longshore current :shock:

As for the radical beach incline, what you are most likely seeing are two things, a sand starved beach SYSTEM, and the movement of the sand from the foreshore (front part of the beach), to the backshore (toe of the dune. One goes up and the other goes down and the incline increases- this was readilly apparent immediately following Katrina along the beach. Also, this is a typical response when those two factors are at play, and I can tell you that outside of western Walton County, Blue Mountain was determined to be the most critically eroded area after Dennis.

As for the seawalls and beaches, the number one influence will be the actual contact between the wall and water. In other words, the longer duration and frequency that water is hitting a wall, the greater impact on the beach and adjacent areas. That is why I was asking whether or not the wall was in contact with water, or the placed sand, as the devil's in the details ;-)

Thanks again for posting and GO JOE GO!!! :funn:

i'll go shoot some pics right now. I saw the big surf and figured it was up to the beachwalkovers.

The wind is still whippin here at my house, I bet SJ is gettin some good ones....

The wind is still whippin here at my house, I bet SJ is gettin some good ones....

Molly and I walked down the boardwalk a bit ago. The sand is flying and the water is wild.

Try this photo.

The wind is still whippin here at my house, I bet SJ is gettin some good ones....

:rofl: Guess who I ran into while I was picking up crap on the beach:funn: :funn: I was in Blue mountain checking out the surf.
I got pics too of the surf.

at first you don't...I think I got it now. Notice the seawall was never even buried and the leftover chairs are a nice touch.

The seawall that you see to the left and under the walkover was compeletly covered when I was at the Villa's in July.

Trying again.

Trying again.

They won't be there in a little while!!!!!

again

Again I try... Notice the lovely brown sand covering the Ge Itsa Ugly tube!

One more pretty seawall with matching chairs. This was never covered with sand?

One more pretty seawall with matching chairs. This was never covered with sand?

Shut Up!!! Do those chairs have a company name on them? As for the seawall...any guesses whose handiwork that might be?

Beach chairs 4 you. They're there all the time. My pics don't really convey the brown slurriness of the water due to the low quality sand that covered most of these structures but trust me it's HORRIBLE. It looked so nice on Sat. it's hard to believe it's the same beach. What was white is now brown... looks like the east coast