Buh-bye East Coast Beaches

Buh-bye East Coast Beaches

motherjones.com

For most of the 20th century, Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, was known for its boardwalk, amusement park, and wide, sandy beaches, popular with daytrippers from Washington, DC. "The bathing beach has a frontage of three miles," boasted a tourist brochure from about 1900, "and is equal, if not superior, to any beach on the Atlantic Coast."
Today, on a cloudless spring afternoon, the resort town's sweeping view of Chesapeake Bay is no less stunning. But there's no longer any beach in Chesapeake Beach

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.nytimes.com
theclimatedesk.org
papers.risingsea.net

[edit on 4/28/2010 by JacKatMtn]

Looks like the Climate change folks are in full fear mode with this article released on Mother Jones and also presented at Wired.com, and just by chance released the same day the EPA released their Report on U.S. Climate Change Indicators which opens with this paragraph:

Heat waves, storms, sea levels, glaciers, and wildlife migrations are just a few of the environmental indicators that show measurable signs of climate change. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, Climate Change Indicators in the United States, looks at 24 key indicators that show how climate change impacts the health and environment of the nation’s citizens.

Don't know about you, but this sure looks like a good indicator that the battle for Cap & Trade legislation will be plastered in the news over the coming summer months.

Funny thing about the MJ article, I have been to Chesapeake Beach within the past 8 years and when I went there, guess what I saw? A beach, sand and everything! I know we some quite a few members from the Commonwealth of Virginia, have any of you recently been to the beach that no longer exists according to article above?

** The Chesapeake Beach referenced in the article is in Maryland not Virginia** Huge FACEPALM!

It's alarmist writings like these that do the global warming, now climate change crowd no justice.

I think we can all agree that the climate is everchanging, and if there are avenues that we can pursue on a global scale, to help lessen man's impact, then that is worth discussing, but trying to incite fear to force legislation down the throats of the citizens is a dirty tactic...

I would hope that they would have the common courtesy to let us finish trying to swallow the Health Care Bill, TARP, Auto Makers bailout etc... :shk:

motherjones.com
(visit the link for the full news article)


ed:fixed link

ed:strike through edit huge facepalm on which Chesapeake Beach the article mentions. I call it the Emily Litella syndrome.




[edit on 4/28/2010 by JacKatMtn]

What they need, is for someone to go there with a video camera, and take a nice video of what they say isn`t there. Then, put it on youtube for the world to see. And what would be nice, would be to show a sign in the video with the name of the beach showing in the foreground. If what you say is true, then these dirtbags need to be put in their place, and a video for the world to see, would do the job.

reply to post by FiatLux


Had to edit the OP for clarity, it mentions Chesapeake Beach, Maryland and not Chesapeake Beach, Virginia two different animals..

I have not been to Chesapeake Beach, Maryland for the record.

*note to self* - don't read an article prior to finishing the first cup...



[edit on 4/28/2010 by JacKatMtn]

Our NC barrier island has a beach nourishment program that pumps sand.
www.coastalscience.com...
Ocean front property owners pay an additional sand tax to the county to help fund it. It seems to work.

We are losing a lot of beaches along the Gulf Coast of Florida too, and guess what the flavor of the month is for cause? Not Global Warming? Not over-development? Now rising sea levels? It is storm related, but it isn't the actual storm? The flavor of the month (actually last 2 years or so of research) says that Beach Protection, Sea Walls, and Restoration programs are accelerating the beach loss!! Now there is a facepalm for ya!!

The current models shown by FSU researchers here near Apalachicola, and Alligator Point, and Bald Point, show that extending sea walls to protect roads, and hauling in sand to combat erosion, and protecting dunes from storm damage, have actually changed the natural ebb and flow of storm surges and accelerated the loss of surrounding beaches. In one location on Alligator Point, the Dune Restoration accidentally plugged up a sort of natural storm drain that allowed the surge to pass through the dunes to internal ponds and then recede again. After burying that naturally occuring storm drain, the surrounding beaches took the blunt of the storm surge. Aerial photos show how the beaches changed before and after storms for the past 60 ro 70 years, and guess what? 60 years ago the storms were actually depositing more sand than they were eroding, but after all the engineering marvels went into effect, now the storms are eroding beach at an accelerating rate! The more we do to combat it, the worse it gets. Right now on Alligator Point, they are in the process of tearing down sea walls, and fixing the natural conduits that lead to the inner island.

So, when these folks start crying "sea-level" or worsening storms, or other things, ignore them! Or, better yet, direct them to some old photographs of hurrican damage before all of our "progress!"

reply to post by getreadyalready


That's interesting, I wonder how much $ was spent building the barriers and how much will be spent to restore the natural buffers that were already in place? Can they even repair the damage done?

Originally posted by JacKatMtn
reply to post by getreadyalready

 

That's interesting, I wonder how much $ was spent building the barriers and how much will be spent to restore the natural buffers that were already in place? Can they even repair the damage done?

On Alligator Point they expect it to take approximately 20 years of natural cycles to restore it to levels they had just a few years ago. They have decided to completely move the beach road that gets washed out every year and stop trying to protect it. The beach road used to be 100's of yards from the water, until they built a wall to protect it. Then the water took everything up to the wall within a few years and started washing the road out every year (It never washed out before the wall was built.).

The natural conduits are a different story. They are only guessing at where they were before, and using local residents and old photos to try and restore them. They pumped so much sand onto the beach that it is almost unrecognizable compared to old photographs. In my opinion, they are still doing too much in the way of "restoring" even though their new motivation is to undo what was done wrong. As long as they are fiddling with it, there will be unforeseen consequences. If they just stop now, nature will fix things within a few years. The sand may not be where the municipalities and developers want it, but it will reach a natural equilibrium if they leave it alone long enough.

Sand moves. It shifts from place to place. The distribution changes over time. If someone prevents sand from leaving an area, then another area does not get the sand. The origin of the sand is the river systems. Altering the rivers also changes the arrival of new sand. Barrier islands such as the ones off of the Carolinas move with changes in sea level. When sea level goes up the sand is transported towards land. When sea levels drop the sand moves away from land.

I have seen beach "renourishment" programs in action on Hilton Head back in 1997. Given the location of the island and the currents, portions of beach naturally disappear. They renew a 5 mile stretch of beach about every 10 years.

Watching the project in action is quite impressive and expensive. Sadly, after the completion of one particular renourishment program in 1997, a winter storm struck the area and essentially washed away a large portion of the fresh new beach.

It is tough to fight mother nature. She will always win.

reply to post by getreadyalready


Here's 3 links to the Army Corps of Engineers stance on the point..

correct me if this isn't the same one, I have had a bad day already

chl.erdc.usace.army.mil...

chl.erdc.usace.army.mil...

chl.erdc.usace.army.mil...

Which group of folks are running the show in Florida in regards to the point, they must be in direct contrasting position to the Corps of Engineers on this one?

Originally posted by FiatLux
What they need, is for someone to go there with a video camera, and take a nice video of what they say isn`t there. Then, put it on youtube for the world to see. And what would be nice, would be to show a sign in the video with the name of the beach showing in the foreground. If what you say is true, then these dirtbags need to be put in their place, and a video for the world to see, would do the job.

OK guys the entire North Beach, Chesapeake Beach, Rose Haven/Herrington Harbour area has been, up and down on beach erosion long before this article. Pollution killing the blue crab and the lot. However, you can look up the decay of these beaches without even going there. All you have to do is look up The Rod and Reel - which is right on the bay. I did a bridal expo there in 1994 and then, they still had the beach bar and some beach. Went back after 2003 when I went to shop a band for a show I was doing and the beach bar was still there, but there wasn't but maybe less than a yard to wade out.
They also had a small beach/boardwalk in North Beach which gets run over during 4th of July weekend with people who couldn't get into Herrington Harbour. In the 90's when I would go with my niece and her dog (Breezy Point wouldn't let us take Muffin on the beach). Muffin could run a good city block before hitting the water there - but in 2005 (last time out there) it was only a few feet to the water line.
I'm concerned because they are not at the mouth of the Chesapeake/Atlantic like Point Lookout, MD where some towns close by are losing of their historic cemeteries which are sliding off into the bay. chesapeakeclimate.org...
www.bayjournal.com...
www.washingtonpost.com...
Herrington and Breezy are the only places with measurable beach left but it would be great to get satellite images from 1994 to now on these areas since they would provide the best indicators of beach erosion/recession. But I would be very careful guys because back in the 90's a hurricane came through and flooded a few basements, but they used this to declare a state of emergency and most got PAID when in fact, the damages were minimal. This could be a "get their interest" story in order to get more funding or get the stipends to get their gambling back. After all, between Point Lookout and North Beach/Chesapeake Beach, how much could the ocean level make the bay level that far up, rise?
BTW, all these areas you can access pics of by google.

reply to post by DaWhiz


Thanks for the assessment of the correct Chesapeake Beach, the one in Maryland

Intriguing point about the possible goal of increased funding.

Ive lived on and been near the ocean for most of my life. The sea level isn't rising, the beach erodes and shifts just like rivers or any shoreline does naturally. Water is one of the most powerful forces in the world.

Look at an aerial map of the Mississippi river, you can see where the river used to be and where it is now, I guess that's global warming too huh?

These so called scientists are so stupid, all the education in the world can't give them common sense.


I am happy to report all is well on SC-FL beaches down here.....

reply to post by JacKatMtn


Well, they have to pay for that new spa/resort since they seem to be competing with Herrington, which is a dig/dip hang out at times (dignitaries, diplomats - shhh did I say that? )
I haven't gotten to Breezy Point yet, but Herrington has lost a lot more beach than I thought. I almost cried to see North Beach's erosion. They use to have craft fairs there. Memories....
I'm on Google Earth looking at the areas. By far the worst hit is North Beach, not Chesapeake Beach. The article you sited said that the retaining wall there (CB) was put up to protect those townhouses, but that's not true, it was there to build up the land before they put those town homes up. Most of that area re-developed after the hurricane, putting more homes in North Beach, away from the shoreline. (note to self/next time take advantage!)
OH and speaking of taking advantage I don't know as a moderator if you want this on this thread or to start a new one on real estate rip offs, but this one on Beyonce, JayZ and FEMA beach house bail out just about put me in the hospital just now. It goes hand in hand about what I said about people taking advantage of disasters even though they didn't have the right to.
motherjones.com...
Apparently, if it could, it would happen every day.

Originally posted by JacKatMtn
reply to post by getreadyalready

 

Here's 3 links to the Army Corps of Engineers stance on the point..

correct me if this isn't the same one, I have had a bad day already

chl.erdc.usace.army.mil...

chl.erdc.usace.army.mil...

chl.erdc.usace.army.mil...

Which group of folks are running the show in Florida in regards to the point, they must be in direct contrasting position to the Corps of Engineers on this one?

That is the correct place, and that is exactly what has been done and was in the process of being done. I will look for links to the current lawsuits and construction process. The beach road that they mention is temporarily repaired at this point, even though the county had decided to not repair it any more. They have also constructed a temporary bypass road, that is intended to become the permanent one.

A group of concerned citizens on the island have several lawsuits going, and the State of Florida has not made any decision on their recommendation. There are several FSU professors that have studies conflicting with the Corps of Engineers. Some of those professors are also residents of the island, and there has been some conflicts of interest regarding development, and blocking of development that has been ongoing for years.

The newer studies have become significant since the Hurrican Season in 2005. After that year, it became very apparent that all the previous fixes had done more harm than good.

I will continue to look for links to the Citizen's group, or local newspaper articles relating the conflict. The "Tallahassee Democrat" has had a lot of coverage, but their website is not all that great.

reply to post by getreadyalready


Will look forward to whatever you can dig up on the situation down in Alligator Point, I wonder if the EPA had any input or impetus on the Corps of Engineers to move forward with the original efforts at curbing the erosion problem, if they had a hand in it at all, why should we take their current reports as concrete, if you know what I mean.

Also interesting to learn that the Chesapeake Beach Maryland beach loss could be more of a developer taking the beachfront than an actual climatic cause of the loss something more to ponder in light of these new alarmist (IMO) articles, thanks for the additional info DaWhiz.