Rosario Beach

Rosario Beach lies just north of Bowman Bay.  It's a smaller pocket beach, the southern portion of which lies in the State Park.  I've posted from here before (September 2009), but the purpose of this entry is mainly to provide a counterpoint to the previous post from Bowman Bay.


The Walla Walla University marine research station lies immediately north of the park.  As at Bowman, they have had recent erosion problems, but the setting and the history are a little different.  At the far end there is an eroding bank and there are also facilities vulnerable to storm damage.  The closer end is a low lawn, perhaps fill across the historical backshore.  High tide storms likely throw both water and logs up and over the berm and back toward the buildings -- erosion in itself may not have been a problem, but overtopping certainly was.


The solution that emerged is an interesting example of the kind of hybrid structure we are increasingly seeing on the Sound.  There's some large rock, a row of logs, and an artificial berm or dune. I suspect the latter is actually the most useful element of this project, since it adds elevation and will likely reduce overtopping. I'm a little more skeptical about the purpose or the utility of the rock and the logs (they provide a sense of security, if nothing else), but regardless, the result is a naturalistic approach that provides benefits during storms while maintaining the basic character of the beach.  It will look great when the dune grass grows in and the natural logs begin to obscure boulders.


AERIAL VIEW