COASTAL EROSION: Weekend Post reader Robin Moulang provided a few pictures illustrating the eroding state of the St Francis Bay sand spit
ST FRANCIS Bay residents are deeply concerned that in the not-too-distant future their multimillion-rand thatched investments might wash away as a result of the ever-eroding piece of coastline which separates the ocean from the village’s canals.
St Francis Bay beach lies on the southern shores of the greater St Francis Bay, stretching between the Cape St Francis headland in the south and the Kromme River Mouth in the north. The continued erosion led to the placement of rock revetments and drains along most of the beach.
The northernmost 800m of the beach, which is unprotected by revetments and drains, is backed by a narrow artificial sand spit, which has experienced significant erosion over recent years. This narrow barrier dune is in danger of being breached.
The beach has eroded over four decades due to dune stabilisation – from residential development and the spread of alien brush – which used to feed sand onto it. This has accelerated over the past decade along with increasingly severe storms.
Despite numerous attempts – interventions dating back to 1992 – by the Kouga Municipality to avoid the potential crisis, the coastline continues to erode further with time.
One such example is the five-year R5.5-million deal between the municipality and Danish experts SIC (Skagen Innovation Centre) signed in 2008 to install more than 200 vertical drains along the stricken piece of coastline. SIC’s pressure equalisation module system involved the installation of rows of drains just below the surface of the seabed in the shallows.
They work like plugs, increasing the circulation of seawater and the deposit of sand brought in by the surf, so the beach slowly gets wider and higher.
However, municipal spokeswoman Laura-Leigh Randall said while the drains had delayed the problem it had not been resolved.
“Which is why the municipality appointed Worley Parsons [Resources and Energy RSA] in July 2013 to do an in-depth study of the beach and dune erosion problems at St Francis and to come up with possible solutions.
“Their report lists about nine possible solutions. Worley Parsons will be requested to do a presentation on their findings at a full council meeting, in order to clarify what the best possible solution would be and its financial implications,” Randall said.
The solutions include beach nourishment, sand-spit protection, offshore breakwaters, revetment re-armouring of vulnerable locations, and groyne fields (a low wall or sturdy timber barrier built out into the sea). The solutions vary in prices ranging from R22-million to R140.4-million.
Randall said the municipality was yet to finalise a date to table the possible solutions to council.
However, St Francis Bay Riparian Home Owners Association chairman Richard Foulds said: “The municipality have no idea what is going on. They have had the results of that Worley Parsons study for a long time but what has been done to rectify the problem? Absolutely nothing.
“We as the residents of St Francis had to form the Beach Committee five months ago to deal with the problem.
“We appointed a coastal engineer of our own who conducted an environmental impact study which … will be handed over to the Department of Environmental Affairs, who hopefully will implement the protective measures found in the EIA.”
-Tremaine van Aardt
The post St Francis folk fear being washed away appeared first on HeraldLIVE.