Fri, August 13, 2004

Proposal to destroy the wave at Barview

The US Corps of Engineers (CORPS) proposed seawall at Barview County Park. There will be a public hearing for this seawall is on Tuesday, August 17th at 7:00 PM at Garibaldi City Hall. This public hearing is important, as it can determine the fate of proposed project and the Barview wave. Surfrider Foundation was created in 1984 to save the Malibu wave at Surfrider Point against poorly-planned government action. This action was halted because of the high number of people that attended a public hearing and spoke out against the action. The more people that attend and speak against this seawall, the higher the potential to stop this wave-destroying seawall.

The proposed "jetty extension" is a misnomer. It is a revetment; in effect, a seawall. Long-standing Oregon state policy has kept much of our coastline seawall-free. Seawalls accelerate erosion in front of them, and to the property adjacent to them. Therefore, in this instance, the property just north of the seawall will become more eroded, and the 600-foot beach in front of the seawall will disappear. Additionally, there are two public beach accesses that are within the proposed seawall area. The CORPS is not proposing to replace these public beach access points or account for this erosion.

Surfrider Foundation - Oregon Chapter has asked qualified coastal engineers, who also happen to be surfers and lifelong examiners of sand transport and structural interference, to comment on this project. They have identified the following conclusions:

1. The proposal will not protect against the CORPS' claim that it will reduce risk of jetty breaching, and endangering the shipping channel. In fact, local currents are likely to undermine revetment as it settles. Due to long term regional erosion, this will evolve into more breaching events.
2. The beach line won't become static. This seawall will translate the erosion "problem" to the north by accelerating erosion at the seawall tip, and creating a sediment deficit to further north along beach, eventually flanking the seawall in a few years. This is acknowledged by the CORPS. They have no plan for this event.
3. Where a gradual slope, sandy beach now exists, the proposed seawall will create a deep, steep ocean bottom just offshore. Waves break in shallow water, and travel in deep water. By scouring the corner area, wave action will continue shoreward, unimpeded, without its energy dissipated by offshore sandbars. This wave action will wash up the jetty corner, and over the proposed sewall.

This will do two things: Make sportfishing along the North Jetty very dangerous. Pedestrian sportfishers passing this jetty section will soon be in serious danger of being swept into the channel on the other side of the jetty. If someone is swept away, it's probable that the jetty will be fenced off to sport fishing just like other jetties have been. Allow for more frequent wave breaches at the corner, further endangering the jetty as a whole, requiring more public money to fix. Destroy a consistent surf break along the north side of the south jetty (one of the best in Oregon).

Surfrider Foundation proposes the following to retain public beach access, reduce liability, protect public health, spend our tax dollars towards a better solution, and retain one of the state's best surf breaks:

• Instead of this revetment-type seawall, place the same rocks against the existing jetty, reinforcing the existing jetty along its current axis. This method is more effective because it will allow for the natural beach to dissipate the wave energy before it reaches the jetty, protecting the structure.

Surfrider Foundation does not wish to see the Tillamook Bar channel navigation in jeopardy. Approximately one-third of Surfrider Foundation members classify themselves as fishermen. Fishery health and a coastal lifestyle are very important to the Surfrider Foundation.

OPRD has scheduled a public hearing for this seawall on Tuesday, August 17th, 7:00 PM at Garibaldi City Hall. Please attend and tell the CORPS to not destroy our beaches or surfbreaks, to not construct this seawall.

UPDATE: Please go to the following web site, use the on-line action alert to send an email to Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to not permit the proposed revetment project. Pass this along to anyone that might be interested in helping to fight another ill-planned US Corps project. http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/tillamook/

For the Ocean,
Markus Mead
Oregon Field Coordinator
Surfrider Foundation
PO Box 571 Newport, OR 97365
Email: mmead@surfrider.org
Website: www.surfrider.org/oregon
Mobile Phone: 503.709.2912