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The Geography Department |
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Dunwich beach and Dingle Marsh breach 19 May 2007 |
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As I arrived at the car park at Dunwich beach the Caterpiller digger was being driven on to the low loader - which prompted the question as to 'What has been going on?'
Looking back towards the car park from the shingled flat area behind the beach ridge. |
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Views over Dingle Marshes fro, left, the car park and right, from the shingle 'roadway' - which I cycled! |
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The beach to the north of the car park had again been pushed up into a narrow, very narrow, ridge; the fence must be to keep stock from the marshes from straying onto the beach? |
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I hope the narrowness of the ridge is apparent; it would not resist a surging Spring tide and so is probably a waste of the Environment Agency's money. I was under the impression that the £20,000 for raising the beach after the autumnal breach was going to be the last such outlay, but clearly this has not been the case. |
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The steepness of the slope leading to the beach was severe, but the lower beach was passable to a cycle at low tide! I do believe the ridge needs to be restored from the landward .. where all the shingle now lies! |
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An attractive lagoon has developed behind the beach, with shingle fringing the shoreline. An algal build up has led to the 'bloom' - is it a nutrient-rich environment? |
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More views of the lagoon, that has silt features as well as beach material. An inflow of water from the beach was detected - presumably salt water? |
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The digger on the right is at work behind a burned-over piece of grassland ... and its work can be seen |
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Dunwich Beach 1024-DSC02295.JPG 187KB
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Scenes from Dunwich beach, which is still a working environment but, alas, is not free from the threat of vandalism - on the left. |
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The great surprise at Dunwich beach was the new, experimental, sea defences that have been installed. Geotextile 'sausages', probably filled with sand, have been laid at right angles to the shore ... to act as groynes, and also parallel to the shore at the top of the beach. The material is very dense and matt and was firm to the foot, and the beach had showed signs of vehicles moving material around recently.
the experimental scheme was the initiative of Dunwich Parish Meeting, for ten years or so, but they lacked the status of a Parish Council to lead the project - for which I see at least £77,000 has been raised. |
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The top f the beach also had a number of protective plastic net screens and the occasional drainpipe sticking above the sand and shingle. These are, as yet, a mystery! |
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The business of mass movement still goes on, left, as does the culture of sea-fishing ... but now sharing the beach with what appears to be stranded whales ... or giant oil slicks! |
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