dunes
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Massachusetts beachfront homeowners lose half-million-dollar sand dune to the sea
In a dramatic turn of events, a group of Salisbury, Massachusetts homeowners saw their expensive effort to protect their beachfront homes vanish within days.
In short:
- A costly sand dune, built by beachfront property owners in Salisbury, Massachusetts to guard against coastal erosion, was washed away in just 72 hours.
- Despite the dune's quick disappearance, the Salisbury Beach Citizens for Change claim it played a crucial role in preventing further damage from encroaching tides.
- The failure of the sand dune project highlights the broader issue of increasing coastal erosion, attributed to rising sea levels and more extreme weather due to climate change.
Key quote:
"Their proximity to the Atlantic Ocean gives them a source of moisture and their northern latitude also firmly places them under the powerful jet stream during much of the year."
— Jonathan Belles, digital meteorologist, The Weather Channel
Why this matters:
This incident not only illustrates the financial risks homeowners are willing to take to protect their properties but also serves as a microcosm for the larger, global challenges of rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
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Credit: bfoxfoto/Big Stock Photo
Oregon's coastline's fate linked to 'Dune' landscape
The iconic dunes of the Oregon coast, which inspired the desert planet in 'Dune,' are now facing their own ecological crisis as invasive species and erosion reshape the landscape.
In short:
- Coastal Oregon's dunes, the inspiration for 'Dune,' face invasive species and erosion issues.
- Efforts to stabilize the dunes with non-native beachgrass have backfired, threatening local ecosystems.
- Restoring the open dunes requires balancing environmental preservation with community protection.
Key quote:
"We’re losing about five feet [1.5m] of open sand every year."
— Dina Pavlis, Author of Secrets of the Oregon Dunes
Why this matters:
Erosion on Oregon's central coast poses significant challenges to the ecosystem and the natural landscapes that define this region. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, among other dune ecosystems along the central coast, is experiencing a complex interplay of natural and human-induced factors that exacerbate erosion, leading to a range of environmental impacts.
National parks aren’t faring so well, either. Derrick Z. Jackson writes: If there is anywhere in the nation that holds the promise to inspire unified action on climate change, it is the national parks.
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For waterfront homeowners, moving can have a different meaning
Beach erosion and the frequent occurrence of high tides and strong storms are causing some owners to contemplate lifting or moving as added protection.
Many Stinson Beach homes could be flooded amid rising seas within a decade. Would building dunes save them?
A 2016 study of the Marin County’s shoreline towns found that without intervention, flooding linked to rising seas could damage or destroy 200 to 400 of Stinson Beach’s 775 homes by 2030.
www.nytimes.com
After Trump mocks a sea wall in New York, plan is abruptly shelved
In an unexpected move, the federal government halted a project that might have led to a multibillion-dollar barrier to protect the region from flooding.
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