Beach Erosion--Can it be fixed?

[TooFarTampa]

Here is that section of the article. I think the quotes are interesting and did not find them offensive in any way. It's kind of hard to argue with what he is saying, considering what has happened in the past year.



In recent years, property owners and the billion-dollar-plus tourist industry have tried to get an upper hand by dredging sand from the ocean floor and pumping it onshore. The process is commonly called "beach renourishment," but critics say its is little more than an expensive, and ultimately futile, dredge-and-fill operation.

"It's arrogant of us to think we'll solve the problem, especially in Florida, which has a long record of hurricane damage," said Orrin Pilkey Jr., professor emeritus in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and a leading expert on shoreline erosion. "It's an irrational thing, but it's a political thing. Many of the people who own beach property are very wealthy and very politically connected."

Pilkey advocates building far back from the shoreline; an idea he admits has very few adherents in beach communities, where the value waterfront property has skyrocketed in recent years.

"It's a form of societal madness," Pilkey said. "We're dealing with dynamic barrier islands and shorelines. It's not very smart to think we can stop the erosion ? to hold the shoreline in place."

 

[Philip_Atlanta]

How is the beach replenishment paid for? Is that a county issue or are there federal funds involved?

 

[Kathryn]

"... a form of societal madness"

oooo, I like that phrase !

I've got to think of a way to use that at the next cocktail party I go to.

 

[Kurt]

Here is that section of the article. I think the quotes are interesting and did not find them offensive in any way. It's kind of hard to argue with what he is saying, considering what has happened in the past year.

In recent years, property owners and the billion-dollar-plus tourist industry have tried to get an upper hand by dredging sand from the ocean floor and pumping it onshore. The process is commonly called "beach renourishment," but critics say its is little more than an expensive, and ultimately futile, dredge-and-fill operation.

"It's arrogant of us to think we'll solve the problem, especially in Florida, which has a long record of hurricane damage," said Orrin Pilkey Jr., professor emeritus in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and a leading expert on shoreline erosion. "It's an irrational thing, but it's a political thing. Many of the people who own beach property are very wealthy and very politically connected."

Pilkey advocates building far back from the shoreline; an idea he admits has very few adherents in beach communities, where the value waterfront property has skyrocketed in recent years.

"It's a form of societal madness," Pilkey said. "We're dealing with dynamic barrier islands and shorelines. It's not very smart to think we can stop the erosion ? to hold the shoreline in place."

Sounds about right - the process is very political.

Panama City Beach certainly lost millions of dollars on their recent "restoration".

 

[Kurt]

I'm hearing (secondhand) that the county will be scooping sand out of the gulf with backhoes to shore up houses that can be saved - and maybe along the whole dune line. Not waiting for any dredge and fill permits.

I fear this will be another huge waste of time and money if Sea Oats are not immediately planted. They were prepared to plant 900,000 this year in a process that started after Ivan so we may be ahead of the game by being so far behind. But we need millions of Sea Oats planted.

If anything at all is going to be done, my vote would be to build an 8-foot berm at the dune line and plant it right away.

Whatever is done could all be for naught if we get another storm.

 

[TooFarTampa]

oooo, I like that phrase !

I've got to think of a way to use that at the next cocktail party I go to.

Sea Turtle I think you already have more than enough cocktail party fodder!

 

[JB]

I'm hearing (secondhand) that the county will be scooping sand out of the gulf with backhoes to shore up houses that can be saved - and maybe along the whole dune line. Not waiting for any dredge and fill permits.

I fear this will be another huge waste of time and money if Sea Oats are not immediately planted. They were prepared to plant 900,000 this year in a process that started after Ivan so we may be ahead of the game by being so far behind. But we need millions of Sea Oats planted.

If anything at all is going to be done, my vote would be to build an 8-foot berm at the dune line and plant it right away.

Whatever is done could all be for naught if we get another storm.

So true. It's hard to imagine getting through the remainder of hurricane season without being affected to some degree by another storm or two. But I agree that the homes with exposed foundations have to be saved.

I do not envy the people making the decisions regarding beach re-nourishment. It' an expensive, no-win proposition.

 

[FoX]

My solution is to have the guvment purchase all the property south of 30-a and cart off every stick and stone, restoring the area to it's untouched state, except for grass and sand parking lots, boardwalks, restrooms, and a few camping sites. Dogs would not be banned, but some people would be.

But that would cost billions. HEY - how many freaking bombs do we need anyway.

If someone gets $2 mil instead of $4mil for their property, well there will be plenty of hourly work for those poor folks from the process to make up the shortfall.

 

[OhioBeachBum]

If anything at all is going to be done, my vote would be to build an 8-foot berm at the dune line and plant it right away.

Kurt,

I'm curious. Always wondered during visits there why the extraordinary investment in home construction without corresponding bucks into foundation protection. You talking about substantially reinforced concrete berms or something else? (Yea, I'm a gear-head, though not that field. Dad was a civil and "fun" summer projects sometimes involved building low - 5-6' - concrete dams across creeks on our land to mitigate erosion, so I'm at least noddingly familiar with bucking mother nature techniques ;-)

Whatever is done could all be for naught if we get another storm.

On the up side, today's track map projections on that new windy wench are farther south, with outer bands a good 350 mi south of you folks. Fingers crossed...

 

[Birdman]

My wife introduced me to the SoWal beaches back in the early 80's, and I have been in love with both ever since. We lived in Florida for 10 years along the West Central coast, and we were able to take some weekend jaunts to different areas up and down the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, but the beaches could not compare to those in the Panhandle. So most of our longer vacations were trips back to P'cola Beach, Blue Mountain, Seaside, etc. No matter which area we chose, it was the beaches that drew us back.
We had another return trip planned last Sunday, but Dennis changed all that. But what really hit us hard, was what happened to the beaches up and down the Emerald coast. We feel bad for those that lost homes and businesses, hopefully they can be saved or rebuilt. I wish the same could be said for the beaches.That will take time. We just hope it won't be too long.