Barnstable Town Council Approves Emergency Sand Nourishment Funding For Sandy Neck

COURTESY OF TOWN OF BARNSTABLE A view of Sandy Neck during the storm.

COURTESY OF TOWN OF BARNSTABLE
A view of Sandy Neck during the storm.

SANDWICH – Barnstable Town Council has approved the appropriation of $50,000 for emergency sand nourishment for Sandy Neck Beach.

Park officials say that Winter Storm Juno caused significant damage to the dune, severely compromising the northeast corner of the parking lot.

Sandy Neck Beach Park Manager Nina Coleman told council Thursday night that they are down to six inches of dune between the parking lot and the beach.

The recent winter storms have also exposed old damage from the blizzard of 1978.

Park officials say they had to expedite funding for emergency sand nourishment and took $50,000 out of their operating budget.

Coleman says the funding should be able to help them now.

“I do believe if we are fortunate enough not to have any huge storms, that we will be able to get through this winter,” said Coleman.

Coleman says that the real issues with beach erosion started in 2013 with Winter Storm Nemo, forcing the park to place 5,500 cubic yards of sand in front of the parking lot that fall.

In 2014, they placed more of what she called “sacrificial sand” in front of the parking lot, but Coleman says they have lost 80 per cent of it so far.

According to park records, almost $260,000 has been spent on sacrificial sand in two years.

Coleman said they’re looking at using sand bags in the meantime before making a decision for the long-term.

“The plan is to get this short term solution in with the bags, so we can buy ourselves some time and look at possible retreat or other ways of maintaining our parking lot,” said Coleman.

 



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