| Ken Penfield |
Report: June – 2011
Finally – an update regarding the Woods Hole study from Ken Penfield:
Our study with Woods Hole will be complete soon. The following is a brief summary from Woods Hole of where we are at with the study:
1. The historical shoreline change work is completed. This has provided both the historical perspective of what has occurred at GBPA, as well as for the entire littoral cell, and given us information for gaging the relative accuracy of the wave and sediment transport modeling.
2. The wave climatology and wave transformation modeling is also complete. The wave modeling provides areas of wave energy distribution (areas of increased and decreased wave energy) under various scenarios and is also used to drive the sediment transport model.
3. The sediment transport modeling is also complete.
4. We are currently working on the development and analysis of the various potential alternatives to be assessed for the GBPA beaches. We are currently simulating cases and removing certain solutions that do not reach a reasonable performance level. Once we have the alternatives through this initial screening process and have narrowed them down a bit, we will be providing a short-list of alternatives for GBPA to consider. The alternatives being considered currently include:
a. Beach replenishment
b. Dune reconstruction
c. Manual backpassing and sand relocation
d. Selective Revetments and seawalls
e. Modifying, removing, relocating, or adding groins
f. Nearshore bar placement
Of course there are some subsets and combinations of these as well.
Also, on other projects we are working on for the Corps, Grove Beach Point has been identified as a potential beneficial re-use site for compatible dredged sediment. It is part of the Long Island Sound dredge management program….So we are keeping an eye on that as well.
|
Report: March – 2011
The Woods Hole Study is tentatively slated to be complete at the end of June/early July. At that time, alternatives and ideas for caring for our precious beach will be presented to the association in a special meeting this summer. |
Report: July – 2010
The GBPA received approval from the Associations membership at the Annual Meeting held on May 29 2010 to Move forward with this projects. Task 1 has begun. |
Report: November – 2009:
As you may recall, we contracted with the Woods Hole Group in May 2009 to provide a letter report and evaluation of existing conditions at GBPA. This report was to summarize results of a recent site visit and meeting with myself and Dan Carter, and to provide details on potential future phases intended to evaluate coastal engineering solutions to assist our association in preserving the beach. The report is substantial, well done and quite informative.
Within this report the goals of GBPA are as follows:
1. To protect the coastal infrastructure (homes, cottages, recreational assets) along the association beach
2. Maintain or improve the beach for recreational use
3. Reduce overall maintenance of the beach and existing roadway
4. Maximize the performance (service life) of any potential solution
5. Determine the most cost – effective solution over a minimum of a 50-year time frame 6. Determine the relative effectiveness of the existing coastal structures along the association beach
Given the complex nature of the coastal processes, and our site in
particular, the Board, along with Noel Bishop, Town Councilman from
Westbrook, and other GBPA association members met with Kirk Bosma,
the Coastal Engineer from Woods Hole at the Westbrook Town Hall on
October 20, 2009. He provided us with a detailed presentation of the
information presented in the letter report. In addition, this meeting
helped to provide a summary of proposed tasks for Phase II
I’m confident that the GBPA Board and everyone else in attendance at this meeting now have a better understanding of why these phases and tasks are proposed and how they will help GBPA reach the goals for preservation of the Association beachfront. Obviously, the next step (a coastal study) represents a significant investment that warrants a better understanding of what is being done. However, it is also a needed step to get through the regulatory process and arrive at a long-term solution.
As a result of this report, we have learned there will be upcoming dredging projects in the vicinity of GBPA. Based on these upcoming dredging efforts by the USACE, we have requested Woods Hole to prepare a letter for GBPA. With this letter, we will make a formal request to the USACE expressing our interest in beneficially reusing the sand for beach nourishment purposes. The letter will indicate the commitment of GBPA to pay for the incremental cost, if there is any, of placing beach-compatible sand on the beach that becomes available via a dredging project. At this early stage, the USACE would be able to plan for future dredging projects with the knowledge that GBPA has a viable disposal site available.
|
|
Independence Day
~ Breakfast on the Beach 