EPA's take on beaches

[aka pumpmaster]

did you know there used to be a sweet jetty at 118th st?

[mitchell]

when OC pumped all that sand in 1989-90 and buried all of the jetties it pretty much turned that uptown area from a series of semi-consistent jetty breaks to little stubby rockpiles. 118th, 80th, 72nd all formerly good spots. It seems like OC uses sand from off fenwick when they pump the north end of town and sand from off OC inlet when the pump mid town south...the sand they get for mid-down town is finer grained and forms sandbars...uptown is ..well uptown.

[capesurfer]

just out of curioisty how much better would the waves be if thye never started beach replenishment? i know shorebreaks wouldnt be as frequent ( though i sponge and dont mind the uptown smash). what im saying is even if it never started, waves in the summer wouldnt be that much nicer would they? i mean we could have perfect sandbars but unless there is swell its not like anything with break on them or am i missing something.

ever been to assateague island? The national park up north on down to the tom's cove on the south would be a good indicator of what it would be like without beach replenishment as we know it. Of course, then the island would be migrating westward a few inches a year, but that's what barrier islands are for - nature's barrier between land and sea, naturally removing and transporting sand, building up the island on the bay side and south sides, while shrinking on the ocean side and north sides.

Wouldn't it be something if places like Ocean City, MD started looking at new technologies and contracting those that implement them? E.G. artificial reefs/sandbars that would be cheaper in the long run and much more permanent! Damn, there are people that specialize in coastal protection while still looking out for the surfers, i.e. beach replenishment that forms a perfect point break by using sand bags or something..

food for thought.

[Don Ride]

Wouldn't it be something if places like Ocean City, MD started looking at new technologies and contracting those that implement them? E.G. artificial reefs/sandbars that would be cheaper in the long run and much more permanent! Damn, there are people that specialize in coastal protection while still looking out for the surfers, i.e. beach replenishment that forms a perfect point break by using sand bags or something..

food for thought.

When they do the beach replenishment project, do they (I guess ACE) have a comment period or public meeting? I understand that the fat cats are going to get the most attention, but the surf/break is also a "resource" for surfers, swimmers, and structure for marine critters. If you don't have to screw up one resource to save another more "users" would benefit, and hey we pay taxes too! Isn't a dumping shore break bad for tourist or anyone wanting to play in the ocean.

Another point, wouldn't it be better to disspate erosive wave energy before it reaches the beach. I realize it is tough to deal with barrier islands once millions $ are at stake in development, but you would think that there has to be a better way. One of my old college textbooks showed a structure built right on the beach in OC as an example of where not to build, which thankfully was washed away.

[souljahsky]

well I have but not for 15 years, more like 4, and I'm a DE local. Im just saying that because of how bethany beach ended up. It used to be pretty nice with the jetties but now its poop, not to mention the IR inlet too.

After thinking for a few hours, I think it's more like a little over 20 years for me. Before beach replenishment in 1989, 48th street used to break a good bit outside of the jetty, which extended out into the surf a good 50-75 yards or so. You could walk way out on it. And to think now, it's nothing but a few rocks sticking up after a storm. Things change. But there will always be good breaks in the area, and it doesn't take long to check "the strip".

[Beach Blonde 25-6-4]

[QUOTE=no6rider89;44899]carousel still gets good just gotta kknow when to go out, luckily i can see it break from my house :

Carousel does get good size but its really shallow, I live right next to the carousel and I tried to surf it as much as i could this summer but its not as good as 48th and down. The waves break in like less than a foot of water. No one ever goes out there anymore even when it is good lol.


There really needs to be someone to explain to the non surf mainstream how dangerous beach replenishment is for not only the surfers but also to explain that it really dosent help. Ive been in OCM all my life and i cant remember a time before the replenishment that the beaches would actually flood with chest high waves? when it gets good the beaches flood.

I tried to attach a pic of beach replenishment at its finest

[ECsponger]

Barrier islands (technically what OCMD is) are always changing. This summer, when there was a severe lack of waves for a few months, the south-most jetty (6th st) was comPLETELY covered up, with only about 2 ft of the pole visible. Once Bill came along, the pole reappeared, eventually so did the rocks and the pole was once again was about 8-9 ft tall at the base, as it should be. Tons and sons of sand several ft deep/thick was moved further south. That is a lot of sand.

It's a never-ending process.

Beach replenishment only "protects" man-made structures and keeps beach areas from deteriorating temporarily

6thSt.jpg

Last year sometime in the winter - then the morning Bill started hitting. Same pole, same jetty.