Moving sand around -- from beaches that are growing too wide to those that are shrinking -- will be going on at Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California next month.
The work, being done by the National Park Service and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, "will be a repeat of the successful sand management actions done in 2012 where excess sand in front of the O'Shaughnessy Seawall (north Ocean Beach) is transported to the erosion hotspot south of Sloat Boulevard (south Ocean Beach)."
NRA officials say the dramatic shoreline changes along Ocean Beach are a result of both natural- and human-caused factors.
"In general, the beach at the northern end of Ocean Beach has been widening and accumulating sand while the area south of Sloat Boulevard has experienced a loss of beach and is eroding," a park release said. "The accumulation of sand impedes visitor beach access by filling in the seawall’s stairwells and promenade, and increasing sand maintenance effort of both the NPS and city. The placement of this excess sand at the erosion hotspot south of Sloat Boulevard helps protect the critical wastewater Lake Merced Transport Tunnel structure. The use of excess sand from the north end of Ocean Beach has been an important action to protect the tunnel and avoid the placement of hard engineered structures such as rock revetments."
Next month's work has four components:
* Sand Backpass - Approximately 30,000 cubic yards of sand will be excavated from north Ocean Beach within stairwells 1 to 28 and placed at two locations within the erosion hotspot south of Sloat Boulevard
* Wind-Erosion Control Measures - After the sand has been placed, one or more techniques will be used to reduce wind erosion, which may include living or non-living plant material, sand fencing, and / or pebbles and shell fragments to prevent sand from blowing onto the adjacent road and parking lots.
* Bank Swallow Nesting Impact Avoidance - Exclusion fencing and signage indicating sensitive habitat will be installed to discourage people from disturbing sensitive bank swallow habitat.
* Access Improvement - To guide the public to a safe beach access route across the sand berm at Reach 2 and to help minimize erosion of the berm or the bluffs by foot traffic, cable & post fencing and beach access signs will be installed.
A detailed project description and construction drawings can be viewed on the NPS planning website. The Park Service is interested in any issues or concerns the public may have regarding the proposed project. Comments are requested by September 26 so they can be considered before work begins.
The proposed project is part of an interim solution for the sand management and bluff protection issues at the north and south ends of Ocean Beach. NPS and SFPUC are also involved in the comprehensive planning efforts led by the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) which is developing a long-term plan to fully address the complicated land-use, resource protection, public recreation and shoreline protection issues at Ocean Beach.
For more information on the Ocean Beach Master Plan, please visit this link.
Comments
So much for “let natural processes proceed” as the NPS constantly tell us. Hippocrates.
Hippocrates might be upset with you for taking his name in vain.
But Golden Gate is a NATIONAL RECREATION AREA. There is a difference between one of those and a National Park or Monument or Seashore. Management is entirely different.
Really, is that different than a National Seashore Recreational Area? Like Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area?
Sorry Hippocrates, autocorrect, I meant hypocrites. :-)
A good example of the difficulties and confusion that sometimes arise as a result of the multitude of types of areas the NPS has to manage (and the sometimes convulated names assigned to them). The old tale about the group of blind men trying to describe an elephant comes very much into play in many of these discussions.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I just did some double-checking and found the name of the place to be CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE.
Where does that Recreational Area tag come from?
Isn't it a bit of hypocrisy to be demanding honesty from the NPS and then try something like this? Makes it kind of hard to believe other things one might try to claim.
The full name of the “Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area” is historically accurate and serves to remind us today of the unique recreational heritage of the first national seashore. The founding pioneers called it by this name at the official dedication ceremony. Preserving this name will help future generations understand the history, tradition and recreational purpose of the “Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area.” A study of history reveals the importance of including the words “Recreational Area” today. June 29, 1940, Congress amends the enabling legislation and the words “Recreational Area” are added to further emphasize the recreational nature of the seashore as a destination for beachgoers and fishermen. On May 10, 1954, the National Park Service gave administrative permission for the staff to use the shorter name “Cape Hatteras National Seashore” in all but the most formal memoranda and legal documents in place of the more cumbersome “Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area.” This administrative short cut created a nickname, but never changed the official name. At the official dedication ceremony on April 24, 1958, representatives of both the Department of Interior and the National Park Service repeatedly referred to it as the “Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area.” Although the full name with the words “Recreational Area” subsequently fell from use by the Department of Interior and the National Park Service, it was never officially changed by Congress.
Maybe they should just combine cape lookout with cape hatteras and upgrade it to Outer Banks National Park. Then after the teabaggin' congress is flushed in 2014, they can get to work on making most of the National Park upgrade wilderness. As for GGNRA, a recreational area usually implies it is meant mostly for recreation. A National Seashore means that wilderness and wildlife and the natural environment take precedence. Although, to really meet National Park standards they would probably need to make a marine sanctuary to include in it. Since a National Seashore only protects mostly the coastline. Compared to Biscayne and Dry Tortugas that protect not only coastline, but shoals, barrier islands, and immense expanses of coral reefs. Hence, why it's a National Park, and CHNS and CLNS are just National Seashores.
Maybe when the liberal pansies are voted out in November we can direct the NPS to use the real name of CHNSRA, so that the low IQ crowd does not forget it's intended purpose.