Tag Archives: Sand

Recommended Reading

Evaluating the proposed Dredging Project in Quogue

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On February 4th, Dr. Robert S. Young, Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, released the following report (click here), which provides a multi-faceted perspective on the proposed beach nourishment project for the Village of Quogue.

The perspective provided by Dr. Young is based on an evaluation of a report entitled “Shoreline Erosion Assessment and Plan for Beach Restoration Village of Quogue, New York,” which was prepared in July 2011 and has served as the basis for required permit applications to carry out the beachfill project.

In addition, the document contains comments and observations stemming from Dr. Young’s long experience of evaluating coastal engineering projects and assisting community partners with local project assessment.

This evaluation was prepared at the request of the Concerned Citizens of Quogue. We hope that this document can provide additional points for discussion as our community evaluates options for the future management and protection of the Village’s beaches.

To read the report in full, please click here.

Recommended Reading, Videos

Why Sand Is Disappearing

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Below excerpts are from a November 4th editorial in The New York Times, here.

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“Today, 75 to 90 percent of the world’s natural sand beaches are disappearing, due partly to rising sea levels and increased storm action, but also to massive erosion caused by the human development of shores. Many low-lying barrier islands are already submerged…

“Yet the extent of this global crisis is obscured because so-called beach nourishment projects attempt to hold sand in place and repair the damage by the time summer people return, creating the illusion of an eternal shore…

“Before next summer, endless lines of dump trucks will have filled in bare spots and restored dunes. Virginia Beach alone has been restored more than 50 times. In recent decades, East Coast barrier islands have used 23 million loads of sand, much of it mined inland and the rest dredged from coastal waters—a practice that disturbs the sea bottom, creating turbidity that kills coral beds and damages spawning grounds, which hurts inshore fisheries…

Click here to read the entire article. Watch a TEDx video presentation on the topic, below.