The Associated Press contributed to this report. BAY HEAD - Thepowerful nor'easter that struck the Shore this week carved large chunks from thedune line in Bay Head, leaving Mayor Bill Curtis fearful that the dunes could be breached if another strong storm hits. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. When people dont have the option of putting in walls, theyre going to have living shorelines as their only other option, Jacobson said. Were trying to maintain the natural relationship with these shoreline features, Jacobson said. Today - partly due to last year's storms - she said there is often barely enough beach to walk on. Right now, traditional erosion and flood control structures such as seawalls and revetments are common along Connecticuts shoreline and are found in towns such as East Haven and Branford. April 28, 2023 at 12:12 pm EDT. The grant was for $66,645. So far, we're good, but it moves around. Leatherman cites U.S . But scientists haven't been able to study this broadly using conventional coastal monitoring techniques, which have been limited to on-ground observations on just a few beaches. However, permitting a living shoreline is an easier process, Lund said. Many oceanfront areas of northern Ocean County suffered severe damage from 2012's superstorm Sandy. Some of the worst beach erosion was found in Ocean County, particularly in spots where storm damage has occurred repeatedly before. Ottawa County Emergency Manager Nick Bonstell . The purpose of the High Risk Erosion Area program is to prevent structural property loss in an area of the shoreland that is determined by the department, on the basis of studies and surveys, to be subject to erosion as required by Part 323 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451 as amended (NREPA) and the corresponding Administrative Rules. The artificial reef offered protection for the degraded tidal wetland behind it, and according to OBrien, the Stratford Point wetland became much healthier after the reef was installed. But people love going to the shore. The erosive scour exposed and eroded a line of trees and coastal shrubs that are seen in this photo. Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily briefings. Major erosion consists of significant beach berm loss or when dunes transform into cliffs, as the ocean washes away the sand from the base of the dune, according to the report, which did not. This statute also prohibits the construction of new seawalls, groins and other traditional structures in Connecticut except for endangered buildings built before 1995, roads and other infrastructure needing protection, cemetery grounds close to the shoreline and harbors needing protection. . This project focuses on understanding the magnitude and variability of extreme storm impacts on sandy beaches. However, permitting a living shoreline is an easier process, Lund said. The loss of sand causes the beach to become narrower and lower in elevation (Figure 1). The sand at Flagler Beach looks like someone took a giant ice cream scoop out of the beach. DEEP is actively discouraging the construction of new flood and erosion control structures in Connecticut, according to Jacobson. Getting to the beach requires getting down a steep slope, and theres a good chance of slipping on the loose sand and dirt. For now, the ocean remains swollen and New Jersey residents are using social media to show how far onto the beach the water has moved. This has led the National Marine Fishery Services to push back against living shoreline projects. TheOcean County Board of Commissioners agreed last month to pay half that cost, and mayors of oceanfront towns have been lobbying, so far unsuccessfully, for the state to pay the remaining $4 million. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS I earned my degree from Rutgers and have been at The Press since Fall 2017. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat. Living shorelines are erosion control projects that focus on safeguarding coastal habitats. They dont block off coastal habitats from the shoreline, and they focus on protecting areas such as marshes and wetlands. Dune and coastal erosion has impacted a large portion of the coastline, from the north end of Avalon to Ocean City and Atlantic City, Stewart Farrell, the director and founder of the Coastal Research Center at Stockton University, told NJ.com. Contact her: @jeanmikle, jmikle@gannettnj.com. Major erosion can include loss of beachfront berms, as well as severe dune erosion and "scarping," when waves carve sand away from the base of the dune, according to the DEP. 'Major' beach erosion in 6 South Jersey towns after last week's nor'easter. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. OBrien, the DEEP environmental analyst, said traditional erosion and flood control methods can both harm beaches and coastal habitats. This destroys sea life, turning the ocean floor into a desert. person will not be tolerated.Be Truthful. Other notable living shorelines in Connecticut not only protect coastal habitats, but also infrastructure. Storm waves carry the sand offshore, depositing and storing the sediment in large sandbars. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. There was a problem saving your notification. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. "This is the result of the beach renourishment," Curtis said. Officials in shore towns across New Jersey are urging residents to take precaution as Hurricane Ian causes beach erosion and coastal flooding. Ocean County to offset local beach replenishment costs. The overall volume and elevation of the dune is reduced due to the erosion process (Figure 3). . "We don't have the capability to fix this," he said. Seven Mile Beach forums . Jim Lowney | For NJ Advance Media. We'd love to hear eyewitness in 2019, which directs NOAA to award grants to state and local governments in order to build more of these projects. Is sand the best defense? It seems they have been losing beach to erosion, but haven't been in a couple years. The Army Corps' nearly $130-million project to enlarge beaches and build dunes from the Manasquan to Barnegat inlets, Many Bay Head oceanfront homeowners along with some in neighboring Mantoloking and Point Pleasant Beach opposed the Army Corps project. The. If a turtle isnt able to get from the water to the resource behind it, its a flood and erosion control structure, Jacobson said. People dont realize the long-term environmental damage that can come from having a seawall. The permitting process for living shorelines also proves to be substantial, as state permits are required from DEEP and federal permits are required from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Army Corps of Engineers. It also means a high tide or storm surge will cause extensive damage. Hopefully, if we were to have the same conversation in five to 10 years, the ones that weve put in place to function have performed successfully. A town wants to do a good thing, and theyre punishing it, and its not good. The goal is to identify and recommend potential solutions to manage Gulf Coast storm risks from beach erosion, wave action and storm surge in order to reduce economic damage to existing . The northeast ends of the islands in South Jersey face the most threats of erosion, said Stewart Farrell, director of Stockton Universitys Coastal Research Center. Watch News 6 as they cover breaking local, regional, and national news, plus the latest updates on weather, traffic and sports. Storms and high wave energy have eaten away at this thinning beach, and the few patches of vegetation are in the process of being flooded. New Haven is currently waiting for all of the required state and federal permits for the project, and Zinn estimates it will take six months to a year for full approval to start construction. Major erosion is defined as significant beach berm loss and/or significant "scarping," or severe erosion, of dunes. Keep it Clean. The severe weather left the states beaches so battered that New Jersey wants emergency funding from the federal government to fix the damage. Because of early erosion in Barnegat Light, Surf City and elsewhere, and the extensive tear-downs of the 1980s and 1990s; the majority of the surviving 19th century and early 20th century structures on LBI are in Beach Haven. About 12 miles north on the island, Harvey Cedars also experienced significant dune damage, said Harvey Cedars Police Department Chief Robert Burnaford. They do this by breaking the wave energy and physically slowing the waves down, causing the water to drop sand that it was carrying onto the shore. DEEP is actively discouraging the construction of new flood and erosion control structures in Connecticut, according to Jacobson. #1 of 3 ranches in Eastsound. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. When sand is transported from the seaward to the landward side of the island, the island migrates landward in a process known as barrier island rollover (Figure 8). Six types of coastal change observed along the coastlines of the United States are: beach erosion, dune . It's great to forecast for you in N.J., where I was born and raised. The living shoreline in development at East Shore Park in New Haven is an example of this hybrid technique. Oceanfront property owners in Bay Head and northern Mantoloking argued that they have spent more than $7 million of their own money to construct and maintain a rock wall that they claim lessened damage when superstorm Sandy slammed into the northern Ocean County barrier island in October 2012. We lost a lot of sand. Preview. He is urging residents to stay away from the beachfront. If the beach had not been replenished, with larger dunes built there, "we would have lost Ocean Avenue," in the storm, Chankalian said. Some environmental groups propose more of the same along the Jersey Shore to mitigate losses from beach erosion and coastal flooding. Well send you our daily roundup of all our favorite stories from across the site, from travel to food to shopping to entertainment. So all the sand is just washed-out.". Dune erosion makes properties behind the dune more vulnerable to future storms and the potential foroverwash(Figure 4). A living shoreline project in Stratford Point. Steve Rochette, a spokesman for the Army Corps, said the agency is reviewing the request. -- Jan Jesse, Morristown, TN. . promotes nonstructural solutions to flood and erosion problems such as living shorelines. Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns. Of particular concern is the effect climate change, which not only causes sea levels to rise but also increases the severity and possibly the frequency of harsh storms, has on beach erosion. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Meteorologist Joe Martucci explains why beach erosion happens and what is done to fill the beaches back up for people to enjoy. These Army Corps projects are just perpetual work projects. Visit hotel website. CT Mirror Explains: Proposed College Budget Cuts, Building emissions are the climate change contributor you hadnt heard of until now, Unanimous PURA vote on utility rates belies rifts among regulators, used to be part of the harbor itself. It is happening. Melbourne Beach Resort became unincorporated Brevard County's largest oceanfront commercial property deemed unsafe by the Planning and Development Department because of undermining erosion. Register to attend in-person | Register to attend virtually. In many of these cases, individual beaches may be losing only a few inches per year, but in some cases the problem is much worse. 9), although it may also be triggered by the severe erosion and overwash of the coastal dune system. Ocean County Comptroller Julie N. Tarrant briefs the Board of Commissioners on its plan to subsidize beach replenishment on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. Toms River's Chankalian said the township's northern beach areas fared pretty well during the storm, but segments of Ortley Beach suffered severe erosion. Does beach replenishment work? The rough surf also gouged away up to 25 feet of the depth of dunes in Harvey Cedars, and damaged crossovers, cutting off beach access for vehicles, pedestrians and those with disabilities. Watch the video above to see waves pound the shore in Seaside Heights during the December storm. However, that storm lasted only a half day and was not as strong. Florida beach erosion is reaching a critical point across most of the state. Another 18 beach towns suffered moderate erosion from the storm, which saw wave heights between 6 to 12 feet. Living shorelines are much more beneficial for coastal habitats, Barrett argued. This process, known as overwash, causes a significant change in the landscape of the island. A coastal storm that lingered off the Jersey Shore from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 caused severe beach erosion in Bay Head, Ortley Beach and several sections of Long Beach Island, according to a survey of the damage released Thursday by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The impacts are there. Then, in November, several tropical storms and hurricanes . As towns and cities on the shoreline face this threat, finding an effective method of coastal protection becomes a priority. Please subscribe to keep reading. Luckily, the damage isn't completely irreversible, and once the winds die down on Wednesday, workers will be able to use their bulldozers to patch up the sand dunes and restore access to the beach. Beaches are virtually nonexistent in places. [Seawalls] often have a design life, and they dont last forever. OBrien admits that sometimes it isnt possible to completely prevent beach erosion. During the most extreme events, changes can occur across the width of an entire barrier island. Unless we build dunes appropriately and restore marshes and tidal wetlands, they cannot protect our coast against beach erosion or protect property from storm surge.. Zinn also thinks the project at East Shore Park will be changed over time. According to Murphys Washington, D.C., office, there has been no action on the Living Shoreline bill since the last Congress, but there are plans to reintroduce it to the Senate. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism An eroding beach can lose several feet of sand a year. "There will be a couple sections maybe in the low numbered streets that are going to have some issues by Memorial Day, but overall most of the beaches will be back in good shape," said Rosenello. Susan Jacobson, another supervising environmental analyst with DEEP, has a simple explanation for separating living shorelines from traditional erosion and flood control structures. (Its) very, very difficult to get on the beach. So far, most of the funding for living shoreline projects in Connecticut has come from grants, as well as funding from the municipalities installing these projects. Review. Beach erosion impacted the New Jersey coastline andin some points in Beach Haven on Long Beach Islandthe resulting sand cliffs now stand 10-12-foot-high, James Sferra, the recycling coordinator in the public works department, told NJ.com. While nor'easters bring everything from strong winds to heavy precipitation to coastal flood. Smaller breaches often fill with sand in the months following the storm, while larger breaches may become permanent inlets. Many New Jersey beach towns are doing damage surveys Monday and Tuesday to assess the extent of the beach erosion after the weekend storm. A survey of Jersey Shore beaches conducted by the DEP's Division of Coastal Engineering following the storm looked at 81 sites up and down the coast. The breach caused homeowners in the area to become concerned that their homes would be threatened by flooding if another breach occurred, which led to the development of the Hepburn Dune living shoreline. Threats of harming another 5. Toms River Mayor Maurice B. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. They say next summer they'll be adding new sand to the beach, which will be a long-term solution. We want to make sure there's no impact to public facilities like roadways or other kinds of things," Witson said. Ben Crnic graduated in 2021 from the University of Connecticut with a double major in journalism and geoscience. Inundation occurs when the beach system, or the sandy profile located between the most seaward (primary) dune and the shoreline, is completely submerged under the rising storm surge. At some point, youre going to wake up and [life is] going to be radically different for people, OBrien said. Storm-induced waves and currents erode the muddy wetlands soil, causing these fragile coastlines to erode significantly, often transforming land area into open water. Bulkheads and seawalls may accelerate beach erosion by reflecting wave energy off the facing wall, impacting adjacent property owners as well, writes Leatherman, adding that such structures along retreating shorelines eventually cause diminished beach width and even loss. Is this a usual cycle that will self-correct, or are these beaches permanently gone from sea level rise or other environmental causes? 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Living Shoreline Act in 2019, which directs NOAA to award grants to state and local governments in order to build more of these projects. "A lot of our habitats are preventing coastal erosion and filtering our water and keeping it nice and clean and free of toxins," Grand said. In Bay Head, large swells that hit the shore during a prolonged period of strong winds and higher-than-normal tides eroded big portions of the beach, and sliced deeply into the dune line. We really wanted to take a different attack, a more natural attack, and use a living shoreline as an opportunity to not only protect the park but also create a beautiful natural space to enhance the park, Zinn said. "It would have gone up to the rocks, exposed the rock revetment, but the sand would have come back.". They keep washing out, but the Army Corps keeps on pumping sand. 2023 The Conneticut News Project. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Please subscribe today to NJ.com. From 1979 to 2019, sea level on the Jersey Shore rose an average of 0.2 inches per year, according to the DEP. A report from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection classifies the Holgate and Loveladies sections of Long Beach Township, Harvey Cedars, Beach Haven, parts of Atlantic City, parts of North Wildwood and Sea Breeze in Fairfield Township as having major erosion. Wine and Cheeseburger: Harley and Lara Pair Falafel with Wine. Mountains of sand piled up along the beach are stockpiles meant for beach replenishment, and this storm took about a third of that sand, according to Rosenello. You may be buying yourself some time, but its foolish to think that youre going to put in one particular thing, wipe your hands and be like, OK, Im done. Phil Murphy to assist northern Ocean County towns in paying the municipalities' portion of the next Army Corps beach replenishment in the area, which is expected to start in late winter or early spring. 684 Beach Haven Rd, Eastsound, Orcas Island, WA 98245-9313. Erosion is a continual natural process; material is constantly being shifted around to change the shape of a stream, riverbank, or beach. When water levels subside, currents may reverse direction carrying sediment from sounds and bays back to the open ocean. accounts, the history behind an article. FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. - The sand at Flagler Beach looks like someone took a giant ice cream scoop out of the beach. The artificial reef offered protection for the degraded tidal wetland behind it, and according to OBrien, the Stratford Point wetland became much healthier after the reef was installed. [Erosion control structures] generally result in negative impacts to coastal resources. Share. There is some opposition to these projects, though. 600 4th Street South While most of the Delaware Bay shores were left with only minor damage, Sea Breeze reported 4-foot cliffs on the beach. Consistent winds up to 55 miles per hour over the last few days have slowly chipped away at the beach, he said. That makes the area hazardous, Curtis said. "We've had coastal engineers come out and check it. According to Stephen Leatherman (Dr. There, the dune was completely in one section completely erased, he said. The Hepburn Dune living shoreline project in Old Saybrook was created because the beach and dune system were breached during a bad storm, Barrett said. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). About $30 million in funding from the bipartisan infrastructure billhas been set aside to pay for the project, the corps' first major beach repair project in northern Ocean County since thethenearly $129million beach expansion and dune-building program in the area that finished in 2019. In addition, Seabreeze Road, the only road to the shore section of the town, was eroded in spots. With erosion increasing in cities such as New Haven and Bridgeport, this will make flooding even more common as beaches lose integrity. She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. or anything.Be Nice. OBrien noted that living shoreline projects are new to the state, so there isnt much evidence to point to when predicting the long-term effects. Some dunes in Beach Haven on Long Beach Island have 10 to 12-foot vertical drops, said James Sferra, the recycling coordinator in the public works department. Holgate also lost almost 50% of the dunes in some spots, with multiple crossovers damaged or destroyed. "In some cases, were able to get approval to place sand to areas damaged by 'extraordinary storm events.' But the timing of this storm is what's unusual. 11). EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP NASA made one giant leap into South Jersey by teaming up with the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Tech, Between 1970 and 2019, South Jersey has seen its largest amount of warming during the winter. JW Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy's global portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, today unveils its newest property in Clearwater Beach, Florida, with the opening of JW Marriott Clearwater . There are green techniques that use moldable biodegradable logs shaped to fit the shoreline and also make use of plants to both prevent erosion and create habitat. The really important thing is that living shorelines are helping to protect the environment as well as issues that people have with coastal erosion and to some degree flooding.. Curtis said he is writing a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as the state Department of Environmental Protection, asking if the agencies can do anything to shore up the beach. Such erosion can result from any number of factors, including the simple inundation of the land by rising sea levels resulting from the melting of the polar ice caps. This Monday, Feb. 8, 2021 photo shows severe erosion to a beach in the Ortley Beach section of Toms River, N.J. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) . Hill pointed out that the dunes "did their job," as there were no breaches or property damage in Ortley Beach. Because of this, he thinks these structures are not a good long-term solution. Beach nourishment projects aim to widen or raise a beach and advance the shoreline seaward. The strong winds did knock down a newly-framed home in Middle Township. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Some moderate erosion was reported by the DEP in Sea Bright, where sinkholes opened near the seawall on Center Street; Monmouth Beach, where the storm exposed an old bulkhead, and Long Branch, where the DEP said there is "little to no beach from south of Lake Takanassee to approximately 1,000 linear feet south of Pullman Avenue.".
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