Samish Beach

This stretch of spit on Samish Bay has a complicated history, as does the shoreline to the west from which this spit is fed (see May 2006 post). Beach erosion was rapid in the 1980s and early 1990s, leading to bulkhead failures in 1996-1997. A gravel beach was reconstructed in 1998 as an alternative to building more massive walls or placing riprap. The beach continues to look good. Sediment has continued to be lost to the east, as was expected, although at relatively low rates. This past winter's storms (maybe December 14-15th, in particular) reportedly caused significant erosion at the west end and has prompted residents to begin thinking about whether some minor renourishment may be in order.