Came across this story this morning in The Press of Atlantic City... http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/...cle_50182e92-be53-11e1-8532-0019bb2963f4.html I suppose building some kind of permanent structure would be extremely costly but could eventually be less expensive than federally funded beach replenishment that just gets eroded away after a year or two...
You got that right. Fortunately, there's a group of dedicated surfer environmentalists working on a project right now to address those exact issues.
the reef would be a cool idea but one that will be many years in coming if at all. The other aspect in the story of making bump outs when doing beach replenishment and working to have a more gradual slope is more intrinsic to present conditions, that would likely improve the surf conditions compared to usual aftermath of sand pumping. Hope they try that next time here in ocmd.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/18/artificial-surf-reef-wrong-waves I think it's one of those things that nature knows how to do and NJ probably can't figure out.
I disagree. Look at some of the best surf spots on the east coast - Manasquan, Sebastian, Reef Road, Hatteras Light, Sandy Hook (in its day), Long Beach NY... on and on..all essentially man made breaks. artificial structures can and do produce quality surfing (even these ones that are primarily intended for erosion control), and the science behind it is not that complex as to be unachievable. Lack of committment, conflicting interests and inadequate budgets are the bigger challenges.
Mitchell... you nailed it. Too often we think of artificial reefs as structures designed to create a breaking wave. And that's short sighted and off target. The idea is to create a series of structures engineered for a specific break, that allows sand to accumulate in such a way that the sandbars create the break, not just the structure itself. You don't just slap down a line of sandbags and think that's going to solve all the problems for all of the interests and intents of the project. A well engineered and implemented project has to address shoreline protection and stabilization issues first and foremost in order to be approved and funded. Then it has to take into account the interests of other stakeholders... fishermen, surfers, the tourism industry... What needs to happen, and I've said this before, is the creation of an artificial reef SYSTEM, where a variety of structures are designed to interact with currents, waves, and each other so that the sandbars take care of themselves, and in so doing, protect and stabilize the shoreline, create habitat, and preserve surfing resources.
we all just need to sign up for this... and then die http://www.treehugger.com/natural-s...-green-burials-be-buried-in-a-coral-reef.html
There were waves before the replenishment, and there will be waves after... Even if a 'reef' was proposed I don't think many of the Surfers would support it... why ruin a good thing right? The replenishment did more than just disturb our waves... I have been in the Ocean almost daily since the start of the dredging here in Atlantic City and the most disturbing thing I have noticed is the rip the new beach slope has created. Even on days when it didn't look too rough from the beach, once you reached waist high it was paddle or get dragged hard. We already have had a few (4?) drownings this early in the season... doesn't seem like a coincidence to me. Also... has anyone noticed a rise in larger animal life closer to the beach? Sharks, reys, dolphins etc? Don't get me wrong I know they are out there but so far this summer/spring I have seen/heard more than I can remember in a single summer... could this also be connected to the dredging? I spoke to one of the guys who worked out on the dredger about some fish that washed up on shore that appeared to be ripped to shreds with a knife, along with a ton of other trash/sea weed/crabs/ etc etc... he said that its totally possible for fish and other marine life to get caught in the dredging process and diced up... Lots of dead animals... unseasonably warm water... ripping currents and unstable sand... could make for a really dangerous summer season.
