Tuesday, March 01, 2016

Possession


The remains of the old bulkhead (there wasn't much left) were pulled out several years ago and when I last visited in 2014, the site was doing remarkably well in its absence. Two subsequent winters have taken their toll and not surprisingly, the bank is continuing to erode. The vegetation is gone and it may get sloppy since there appears to be riprap and geofabric buried beneath the eroding fill.


Previous Visit:  Possession:  June 2014


This site consists of fill, so it is particularly susceptible to rapid erosion. The ocean had taken centuries to get to where it was before and now it's eager to get back there again. It will still take many years for the bank to retreat back to the original toe of the bluff, but by the time it does, the rate will be more typical of the normal slow erosion rates we see elsewhere on the Sound.

I trust that by the time the erosion gets back there, Parks will have reimagined the site. The old house doesn't make much sense and the marine campsite could be relocated to a more sustainable site. It's a wonderful place and as with so many of these undiscovered parks, the biggest challenge will be managing visitors with limited parking and facilities.


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