Shoreline restoration. Bulkheads get lots of attention these days, but restoration of bulkheaded shorelines is often more about removing fill. We once called burying the beach "reclamation." Unburying it should be called the same thing. To reclaim the high-tide beach, we may need to give up some lawn, which will upset the Canadian Geese, but the kids will be just as happy playing among the logs in the sand.
Bulkheading of naturally eroding shorelines is a very real problem, but we shouldn't confuse our devils. In this case, the bulkhead is simply a decoration (albeit a slightly toxic, creosoted one) on the seaward edge of a big pile of dirt - which happens to lie on top of a perfectly good beach.
The devil is in the details, of course. Figuring out where the natural beach line will be in relation to the parking lot/asphalt is the critical dimension. It appears that most of the bulkhead can be removed with minimal impact on the pavement, and that ALL of the bulkhead west of the navy dock can be removed to "reclaim" the beach once more for natural processes. We look forward to what this project can accomplish to improve Cornet Bay.
ReplyDeleteJack Hartt
The current beach provides a starting point for projecting the beach profile landwards and seeing where the natural berm would lie. In some places, such as down near the boat ramp, some sort of backstop will still be necessary. There just isn't enough room. Farther west it may be easier, except, as you point out, for the details... like the bases of the two piers which will present some design challenges. But definitely a wonderful opportunity.
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