Photograph: © SAF – Coastal Care
Excerpts;
Coastal communities here are increasingly experiencing the impacts of an encroaching ocean. Storm waves are eroding beaches and flooding developed areas. Rising sea levels are taking land. The ocean’s power even when it’s seemingly tranquil is unmatched, but when it’s angry our continued disrespect proves costly.
Now, it’s well known that structural shoreline protections such as seawalls, bulkheads, gabions and stone revetments actually promote beach degradation and adversely impact the environment. These structures block the natural movement of sand and deflect wave energy back to the beach, thus scrubbing it away.
“Our beaches were created by erosion and are constantly being reshaped by erosion,” said Peter Hanrahan, a certified professional in erosion and sediment control who works for E.J. Prescott Inc. “The coastal real estate we have is going to disappear…”
Read Full Article, Eco RI News
Sand Wars Come To New England Coast, The Boston Globe
Sand is becoming New England coastal dwellers’ most coveted and controversial commodity as they try to fortify beaches against rising seas and severe erosion caused by violent storms.
68 Percent of New England and Mid-Atlantic Beaches Are Eroding, USGS
After Hurricane Sandy, One Man Tries To Stop The Reconstruction, Outside Magazine, November 2013 Issue
Geologist Orrin Pilkey predicted exactly what a storm like Sandy would do to the mid-Atlantic coast and New York City. On a tour of destruction after the deluge, he and David Gessner ponder a troubling question: Why are people rebuilding, as if all this isn’t going to happen again?
