Sankaty Head beach project

[Hooper]

On the heels of the Chatham cut thread down below, have any of you guys heard about the huge project that is being debated on Nantucket at the Sankanty Head area?

Here is it in the Reader's Digest version: There is a group of property owners who are in danger of losing their homes to the erosion of the eastern shore of Nantucket. In recent years, there have been steps taken to slow or stop the erosion of the beach and bank, such as the installation of terraces, pressure treated 4x4's, and husge sand bags. Obviously, those of us from the Cape who have half a brain realize that man has never been able to achieve this goal and probably never will.

However, this is the year 2007. And money is on the move. The idea? Take millions and millions yards of sand from the Bass Rip shoal, located east of the island and pump it onto the beach, instant fix, right? Well, the idea is it would beef up the Sankaty Head area and the beaches around 'Sconset. As it is, the place looks like a war zone, 4x4's and burlap bags litter the area and in any storm, this one for example, hundreds of these 4x4's will end up in the ocean, sound environmentally friendly to you? Look at the photos posted on the FFSW thread, it is truly sad.

John, please allow me to post a few links which might explain things in more detail:

http://grantsanders.blogspot.com/200...4_archive.html

http://www.flyfishsaltwaters.com/ubb...;f=12;t=000312

http://www.boston.com/news/local/art..._shore/?page=1

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2007/05/...e-beach-brawl/


I find it simply amazing... say a mechanic wants to take his family out on Nauset Beach to fish and have a cookout in July in their Ford Bronco. But he can't, plovers are nesting, remember? But somehow, it would be OK to conduct a project of this scale which could potentially wreak havoc on the shoreline, not to mention the shoals east of Nantucket, for only 100 extremely wealthy homeowners?

It is funny too how the Cape Wind wind farm project makes the news almost nightly on the Boston news stations, but have any of you seen a single story on this on Channel 5? Must be because they are guests of some of these proponents of the beach renourishment project....

Like I have written before, I think this is a great example of how this country has lost its' soul.

Please, spread the word on this......I'd be interested to hear what you think on this.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Not an expert on the area at all, but sand seems like a dumb idea. Here in hull it took all but two storms to wash away the sand they piled up to the edge of the wall, all that's left is the exposed rocks they put in. I think possibly a better idea, maybe build an artificial breaker reef of the coast. Over time it would form into a more natural reef and would be far more beneficial to the local wild life and would eventually become a permanent first line of defense against erosive waves. I think that would give people far more bang for their buck. Of course from seeing pictures of that cliff, i would assume the ocean is far from their only problem. Wind and rain run off must easily cause almost as much damage as the waves.. So once again natural solution.. Try planting some shrubs on there (it would require lots of effort to get them to take hold i'm sure) and in conjunction with the breaker reef and some minor buffing up of the sand, could just work. It would be more expensive, but at least its not an expensive TEMPORARY solution. And it has it's upsides for the local wildlife.

I dunno just a thought. But lots of sand? Come on. It washes away so quickly. With in 3-4years it would just form a giant sand flat if waves are that big of a problem. .

[MarshCappa]

You got to be kidding me. Let them piss their money away! In 2 years it will be right back to where it is now and with all that debris from whatever they use for the ribs, etc. Leave it alone and make plans to move your home. If they have all that money to dump sand in front then paying to move the house shouldn't be an issue. I'm sorry, but I don't have too much sympathy for these billionaires in this case. They knew the risk and now they are faced with reality. In the end Mother Nature will have the final say.

[Raven]

(sorry a little off topic but)
ya know those artificial reefs they made out of
used tires cabled together.... well it didn't work at all
and now they have 2 million tires to remove from the ocean
divers are cutting cables and it'll take years to complete and millions more dollars....what a waste... of time.

[Swimmer]

This type of project has been done before, but in relation to public beach areas. Last I knew was in the Carolinas somewhere.

[beachwalker]

I agree with you bhoys. It is such a feckin joke. This morons have pissed away millions for years and they aren't stopping (because they have it !)

My only hope is when it does fall farther then the spot will have better parking.

They are planning to move Sankaty light in the next year or so. Not much of a choice

Place looks like planet of the apes anyway

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by Raven

(sorry a little off topic but)
ya know those artificial reefs they made out of
used tires cabled together.... well it didn't work at all
and now they have 2 million tires to remove from the ocean
divers are cutting cables and it'll take years to complete and millions more dollars....what a waste... of time.

why the heck would they use tires? synthetic materials don't seem like a good place for animals to take hold.. sure and occasional old tire on the floor might harbor some wild life.. if theres nothing else around. but i couldnt imagine a reef starting from that. i was thinking more along the lines of sinking old boats and what not. take out all the electronics and other things that would eventually float away and sink the hulls. every boat wreck becomes a habitat.

cable and tires, pfft.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Anything placed offshore as a breakwater (rubble, wrecks, floating things) has been tried with limited sucess, and some major drawbacks. One of these drawbacks is increase erosion at the end of these structures, where wave focusing creates erosional hotspots. They did similar projects at Presque Isle State park, PA....

IF these are privately funded, I have no problem... assuming they are done in a manner that makes geologic sense...

FYI if you go to Ocean City MD, a portion of the local hotel tax goes to the long-term beach replenishment: i.e. no tax payer money... a very very well run project!

[Hooper]

Off the coast of Yarmouth there is an old tire reef which has done very well, it's been there for years, but I think they are partially filled with cement or weight.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Thats a reef for habitat though, not for wave protection; right?

[Hooper]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

Thats a reef for habitat though, not for wave protection; right?

Yeah, that's right, it's in about 30 feet of water, guess it's comparing apples and oranges isn't it

[beachwalker]

lets tell the qazillionaires that it is protection for their habitat....

[RIROCKHOUND]

Kind of, but still a valid point that they can be used as habitat!

As far as the beach replenishment (not nourishment, I hate that term, it isnt actually 'eating' the sand)

I have no problem with it if they go through the permitting process, CZM,CRMC, whoever signs off on it, and it is PRIVATELY FUNDED!!

beach replenishment is a temporary fix, that needs maintenance or replacement, but if it is privately funded, I don't have huge objections with it..

if it is all tax money to help private homes. I have issues then.

[Hooper]

Hmm, guess it's just me then.... there is a lot of on-island opposition, fisherman mostly, and Cape charter captains who fish east of Sankaty a lot.