Interesting article about shoreline erosion at Matunuck. CRMC denied a request to build a steel wall to protect private properties off of Matunuck Beach Road.

R.I. coastal council rejects Matunuck Beach Road retaining wall | Breaking News | providencejournal.com | The Providence Journal (http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2012/04/ri-coastal-coun.html)

Next step will be interesting. Town might ask to build a "man made" structure. We have to make sure if they use taxpayer funding to protect private properties that this structure have unimpeded access to the fishing public.

DZ

Interesting. The town says that the wall is needed to fight rising sea levels. Is the ocean level higher than it was 50 years ago? This is a coastal erosion issue not a sea level issue.
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Next step will be interesting. Town might ask to build a "man made" structure. We have to make sure if they use taxpayer funding to protect private properties that this structure have unimpeded access to the fishing public.

DZ

dont forget that the people impacted are tax payers. we've all funded, through our taxes, projects all over the state to which we may have received no benefit. Just as the tax revenue from tourist $$ from that area fund programs all over the state.
I have a personal and financial stake in all of this and its very troubling. I'm not sure what the right answer for the area is. There are over 250 homes at the end of the road and over 500 cottages and deep hole fising area.
I have not been impressed with CRMC in other dealings. What authority do they have over the town?

The Town wanted the sheet piling, to be installed at the edge of the road, to protect the road and water line from being undermined by erosion.

The opposing environmental groups are the ones attributed as saying the CRMC should develop a longterm plan to deal with rising sea levels.

The next proposal is to re-classify the shoreline as man-made, which will allow the property owners to apply for applications to install shoreline protection. Whether they partner with the Town or not to share costs, if approved, is not decided.

As you can see this is a very complicated issue. My intent here is to make sure the surfcasting community knows what is at stake and to monitor the situation.

DZ

that coastline is a very special place, I'd hate to see it become a steel mess.

I was told there was a time when you could drive your buggy from deephole all the way to green hill, with the only issue being Cards pond's mini breachway... hard to believe

Complicated issue for sure....

Agree with Jimmy and would note that most shoreline homeowners pay a lot in taxes.

Doesn't mean the shore should be restricted or ruined either.
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The towns "fix" was to drive steel sheathing into the ground on the side of the road, to protect their road and utilities. Everyone on the water side of the road would eventually fall in when the water comes up. There was a crew there last fall drilling test holes. It would be nice to see other options that would include thos property owners as well, not just the town's interests.

I was told there was a time when you could drive your buggy from deephole all the way to green hill, with the only issue being Cards pond's mini breachway... hard to believeYup.... I've been at GH since 1949. There was at least 150' of beach between the dunes and the high tide mark... and more dunes as well. Just as a side note, when walking from GH to Mary Carpenter's "Casino" or the grocery store to buy Pall Malls at 23 cents in the quarter machine (two pennies were wrapped inside the cellophane) there were hundreds of sand pipers (and other shore birds which shall remain nameless because they inspire too many dumb posts) scurrying out of the way and there were dozens of terns diving at us to protect their nests. So now... no beach, most of the dunes gone, rarely see sand pipers and hardly ever get dived at by a tern. :huh:

And all that on a stretch of beach where foot traffic has been limited and vehicles have been prohibited for many years.

Grega and I were down there in the late fall fishing all the blitz action and were shocked at how close some of the homes are too the water now, especially those bigger homes which look like there sitting on giant sand bags.

Hope whatever they do looks good, saves homes, and doesn't restrict access
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Grega and I were down there in the late fall fishing all the blitz action and were shocked at how close some of the homes are too the water now, especially those bigger homes which look like there sitting on giant sand bags.

Hope whatever they do looks good, saves homes, and doesn't restrict access
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Those are the "5 cottages" so called. One has been demolished (Chafee's) one has been moved and the others will either be demolished, moved or fall into the ocean. Those woven rope bags were placed there by an outfit from Nantucket or the Vineyard and were supposed to be the hot set up to stop ocean erosion. The year after they were installed (the first time) the remains of the bags could be found all along the beach from there to Charlestown. That particular stretch has a lot of old families with old money and they have not been able to get anything done... besides stop folks from walking by naked of course.