Bay View

I'm trying to catch up with some posts started in December.


The original shoreline here consisted of a low bluff, a narrow beach, and the endless tidal flats of Padilla Bay.  Development involved building a rectangular fill jutting out into the bay, using sediment dredged out from under the eelgrass on the flats.  No, they couldn't get permits to do that today!  The aerial image (see link below) shows the artificial geometry of this piece of the world.


The north and south ends are marked by riprap walls, which are extended out into the bay to act as terminal groins for the artificial beach that lies on the western shore of the feature.  Two more intermediate rock groins apparently help control the beach's shape - although I'm not sure how much they add.


The original beach was built of imported sand and gravel - the material in the tide flats is too fine - and was renourished as the beach gradually eroded back into the artificial fill.  There is no sediment in the corner south of the fill, but a very nice little pocket beach has formed on the north side. Some of this sediment may have come from the eroding bluffs to the north - while some may have leaked around the northern groin from the nourished beach.

I have only heard rumors of the plans for fixing this beach -- but I admit I'm still not clear what's broken that a fairly small amount of work and additional sediment couldn't solve.

AERIAL VIEW