Saturday, February 16, 2013
Cliffwood Beach Dunes Post-Sandy
Looks like Aberdeen Township is working in earnest to deal with the dune sand at Cliffwood Beach. They're removing a 3-foot wide section of sand that was pushed against the guard rail and into the roadway, and even across the road into the basketball.courts and parking lot. They are mounding this sand down along the beach towards the seawall, a stretch that lost most of its sand. Its not clear whether the bushes and small trees on the dunes can survive as they are buried deep in sand. The township's plan seems reasonable. The restoration of dune sand is vital to protect the roadway from becoming an inlet of Raritan Bay, something that could happen soon if steps were 't taken. Id like to hear more about this project through the township website if possible. It would be reassuring to hear some details on the thinking behind this project from a government official.
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They've weakened the dune considerably. That's my take on it. The root systems of the dune plants are exposed now and they are essential for achoring the sand to keep the structure erect
ReplyDeleteI didn't see exposed roots. I saw actual buried plants exposed. The dunes didn't come out that far before the storm. The sand's just packed tight in that area after being shoved away from the road after Sandy and Irene. The road doesn't need to be moved. No one is going to move that road in any event.
Deletehttp://www.npr.org/2013/02/15/170459890/after-sandy-not-all-sand-dunes-are-created-equal
ReplyDeletePerhaps the erosion at Cliffwood Beach is inevitable because of the seawall? When I was down at Cape May Lighthouse, there was an "underground bunker" that was standing in midair on the anchor rods that were drilled into the ground below it. This odd situation was due to years of erosion blamed on the nearby Atlantic City seawall. Construction of such barriers to normal sea movement apparently intensifies the effect of the waves on nearby natural beaches. If we're suffering from the seawall, the dunes are doomed and we'll eventually have an inlet that could create a tributary to Whale Creek. All the work that was done after Irene was for naught, btw. Sandy pushed a channel all the way up to the roadway. Some major work needs to be done here to preserve the status quo. If it can be done.
DeleteThey've cut out about ten, twenty years of dune growth.....better to move the road back then cut into the dune. IMHO.
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