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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Dec. 10, 1998
98-209
Contact: Sandy Howard, Ecology, (360) 407-6239
Sue Patnude, City of Ocean Shores, (360) 289-2754
Bill Jolly, State Parks, (360) 902-8641
Steve Keller, State Fish & Wildlife Department, (360) 902-2565
OLYMPIA - Temporary sand-filled tubes are being imbedded this week along 540 feet of the primary dune at Ocean Shores' north jetty - the north jetty of Grays Harbor -- to prevent coastal erosion expected from this winter's storms.
The stop-gap is an effort to prevent the dune from breaching and causing flooding that could damage Ocean Shores Boulevard and the city's water and sewer lines that are located in the utility corridor next to it. The construction is being timed to coincide with a series of low tides.
The project is funded by a $150,000 appropriation from the state Legislature and $50,000 in local matching funds.
"This temporary measure will buy some time while we work together to create a long-term management strategy to Ocean Shores' coastal erosion problems," said Sue Mauermann, a regional manager for the Department of Ecology (Ecology). "We applaud the city for inserting permit requirements that guarantee the tubes will be removed in May and they won't become a permanent feature on the beach."
Sue Patnude, Ocean Shores' director of community development, added: "The issue of coastal erosion is not just the city's issue, it's a statewide issue. Everybody who enjoys Washington's beaches has something at stake here."
An interdisciplinary team is developing an environmental impact statement that will provide a long-term management strategy to Ocean Shores' erosion problems. While there is no consensus on why Ocean Shores is experiencing coastal erosion, observers agree that its beaches are losing sand in areas where they had been gaining sand for many years.
Three state agencies were involved in the permit process: the departments of Ecology and Fish & Wildlife and the Parks & Recreation Commission. The project also required approval from the city of Ocean Shores.
The Parks & Recreation Commission oversaw application of the state Seashore Conservation Act; Fish & Wildlife made sure the state hydraulics code was followed, protecting fish life; and Ecology, together with the city, granted the state Shoreline Management Act permit.
Ocean Shores is part of a 100-mile coastal system stretching from Tillamook Head, Ore., to Point Grenville, Wash., that is currently being investigated through the Southwest Washington Coastal Erosion Study. The five-year project, which began in 1996, is jointly funded and conducted by Ecology and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Results of the study and continued beach monitoring will help Ocean Shores and other coastal communities develop long-term management strategies in dealing with coastal erosion.
Initial products from the coastal study include historical shoreline-change maps, aerial photo mosaics, a network of 77 survey monuments, beach and nearshore surveys, and informational reports.
Also, the Ocean Shores coastal erosion problem is highlighted in a recently produced video entitled "At Ocean's Edge: Coastal Change in Southwest Washington." The 20-minute video, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and Ecology, also describes the Southwest Washington Coastal Erosion Study. For a copy, send a $5 check or money order to Department of Ecology, Fiscal Office, Attn: Cashier Section, P.O. Box 5128, Lacey, WA 98509.
To learn more about coastal erosion in Washington, see the article "Washington's eroding coast: What's happening and why?", or read about Ecology's Southwest Washington Coastal Erosion Study.
NOTE TO NEWS ORGANIZATIONS: For a free copy of the coastal-erosion video, please call Sandy Howard at (360) 407-6239.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
