One of the major tasks of the beach management plan is to be sure the sand stays on the beach. This past winter, the plan has been marginally working. The grasses, due to the cool, wet spring are growing strong. The dunes, doing their job, have grown a bit taller.
On the downside, the beach itself appears to have lost over 70 feet. Where last summer the beach extended well past the breakwater at Madison, the bay has now reclaimed the section for itself.
The large parabolas, which are a trademark of the breakwater function, have once again carved out big chunks of the beach.
Much of the sand appears to have shoaled back into the bay, making the beach even more embarrassingly shallow. Tourists can be heard snickering about the absurdly low, ankle deep water.
If the current beach management plan is about building up the dunes, then it is working. If it is about maintaining a beach large enough to handle the slathering onslaught of summer visitors, then there is some work to do.
Trucking in sand is not really an answer; that never works. The town also can’t wait for USACE to dredge the harbor every 15 or 20 years. While expensive, a dredging operation every 2 or 3 years, pumping the sand that has shoaled back onto the beach, may be something to consider.
As the town continues to push for more and more people to come here, a sliver of a beach isn’t going to cut it.
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Have fun fighting with currents. People fell in love with Cape Charles for its quaint Mayberry feel not because we have a huge beach. The draw for cc beach has always been the “safe” shallow wading perfect for children. A shallow beach is better in my opinion then the drownings experienced when the beach was dredged and extended. Furthermore this beach project has created numerous secondary issues such as blowing sand into yards, having to remove tons of sand from our streets and excavating the pier after every major storm. I would much prefer the tax dollars go into fixing/extending our fishing pier and correcting the ridiculous parking. Stop trying to play God by redirecting the bay, (he made it this way only he can change it)and focus on realistic goals.
Note: The drownings occurred in the channel, not because of a deep water beach. Also, work by the Wetlands Board, mainly grass plantings have created a very healthy dune system that has alleviated most of the sand drift issue. If you actually lived in Cape Charles, you would know this. Dredging and beach replenishment, that is treating and maintaining a municipal asset occurs all over the American coastline.
Right on, Angie!
WE need Toilets or porter johns at the North end of the Beach also at a midway point IF you want to Clean up the Bay .before you build cycle & hiking trails .ITS LIKE BUILDING A TWO MILLION TOILET WITH OUT TOILET PAPER OR WATER .
Sounds like something NASA or the federal government would do, and probably have done.
I’m quoting from my wife who passed away in March—-“Be careful what you focus on, it determines what you miss”. I don’t complain about the width of the beach because it is difficult to get to the beach, no mater how wide it is, because the sand building up on the walkways to the beach are covered in sand from the buildup of the dunes. I like to walk out on the pier after sunset but because the lights are out on the walk leading out to the pier are out, I don’t feel comfortable or safe walking out to the pier. Cape Charles “be careful what you focus on, it determines what you miss”.
My condolences on your loss, Sir.