Cabarete Beach Erosion issues

pularvik

Active member
Jan 2, 2011
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Since I have been living here I have seen sand /beach just sort of disappear, then , at some point it comes back. Seems to have its own schedule. Cabarete IS the beach,- permanent erosion would have devastating results.
 

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
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Definitely would kill tourism if you go for a beach vacation and the beach went on its own vacation.
At some point the sand will return. The ocean is powerful and dynamic and makes changes worldwide.
But I'm sure Al Gore is on his way to designate Cabarete a Global Warming victim.
 

Squat

Tropical geek in Las Terrenas
Jan 1, 2002
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Beach erosion is widespread in the island, and it seems to be a worldwide issue too. Folks fight for their political views, but the beach does erode daily.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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Theft of sand from the river up current from Cabarete Beach

The article attempts to explain that the erosion at Cabarete beach is from a combination of climate change and also because of all the sand being taken illegally from the river up current from Cabarete beach that ordinarily would replenish at least some of the sand being lost. Little to nothing to stop the theft of this sand.
 
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drstock

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Oct 29, 2010
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Cabarete
Cabarete Noticias has been predicting the problems for Cabarete beach for a long time and they now appear to be coming true. The author seems to know what he's talking about. Of course the size of beaches changes all the time, but in the eight years I've been here I've never seen such erosion as we have now.

If the main beach and Kite Beach both continue to disappear, what future is there for Cabarete? And just to make matters worse, there's the on/off potential closure of Encuentro beach.

The only way to recover the situation in the short term would appear to be to ship in tons of sand and rebuild the breakwaters that protect the beach. But where's the money to do that? Unfortunately, it seems to be part of the mindset here: make a few bucks today and to hell with the future!
 

Uzin

Bronze
Oct 26, 2005
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I was there a couple of weeks ago and it is really bad, never seen it like this in the last 13 years. Yes the sands goes and comes, but this is very severe. At high tide the other day I thought combine that with a storm surge and big waves and that can damage a lot of properties/restaurants on the beach. Some palm trees are in danger of being wiped out too.

Many moons ago they had that Dutch company with their pump ship (no idea what is called) to pump sands from further out in the sea and bring/pump it to Cabarete beach.

The latest I heard (only rumor) is that the authorities are aware and thinking about it, needs funding of course and there are only two of these ships around this area so they need to wait they turn if and when one is available.... !

(I hope they do something for Sosua beach too, that needs pumping from one end to another end....)
 

oriole100

Bronze
Oct 9, 2005
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I think way back when. Geo. Catu and the Pres. got together to build tour. and condo prices. Had the sand pumped. Maybe Lifestyle will help. GOOD luck on that one.
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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Not for Lifestyles to do. They just run the property. The owners are kicking back somewhere else with a beach.
 

lifeisgreat

Enjoying Life
May 7, 2016
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Give more beach to area and someone will quickly claim this is my property 60 meters back...
 

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
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I was there a couple of weeks ago and it is really bad, never seen it like this in the last 13 years. Yes the sands goes and comes, but this is very severe. At high tide the other day I thought combine that with a storm surge and big waves and that can damage a lot of properties/restaurants on the beach. Some palm trees are in danger of being wiped out too.

Many moons ago they had that Dutch company with their pump ship (no idea what is called) to pump sands from further out in the sea and bring/pump it to Cabarete beach.

The latest I heard (only rumor) is that the authorities are aware and thinking about it, needs funding of course and there are only two of these ships around this area so they need to wait they turn if and when one is available.... !

(I hope they do something for Sosua beach too, that needs pumping from one end to another end....)

There is one that does periodic dredging of St Thomas harbor and St Johns.

Dredging will do nothing if a break water is not built.

Maybe $70 million would be a start for all this work, but not just any sand is good. It needs to be fine enough to walk on and lay on and not full of mud or sharp sea shells which you can get in deep dredges. It should be taken from an area where wave action has eroded the particles then barged in.

Where one beach erodes another is formed elsewhere - Find that new local and go build a hotel
 

Uzin

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Oct 26, 2005
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Where one beach erodes another is formed elsewhere - Find that new local and go build a hotel

Very true, not sure about where the Cabarete sands has gone, but in the Sosua beach the sand has gone from the north half to the south half - I hope they don't start building new shacks on that part soon ... !
 

CFA123

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May 29, 2004
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They know how to do it, and it’s been done before. It cost $3 million when it was done in 2006, including some sand added in Sosua and Puerto Plata.

Here are some fotos of the work when it was done.

jrciva.jpg


2hpoviv.jpg


The new sand was a lighter color than what was here previously and they added about 4 feet of depth as I recall. Along the whole bay.

We are just getting back down to some of the original sand and the shiny glistening rocks near the shoreline at sunrise that I recall from my first time in cabarete back in 2000.

Many who weren’t here prior to 2006 don’t have a clue that what has washed away in the last decade, was what was pumped in (from Río San Juan área as I was told at the time but can’t say for certain).

From DR1 News at the time:

“New beach for Cabarete
According to Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez, the government has spent three million dollars on the reconstruction of Cabarete's beach. A total of 280,000 cubic meters of new sand was dumped on the beach, and the 2.5-kilometer stretch can now handle as many as 100,000 beachgoers at one time. Funding for the project, which includes Puerto Plata and Sosua beaches as well as Cabarete, came from a passenger tax and private sector contributions with the Puerto Plata Hotel Association playing a principal role.”

http://dr1.com/news/2006/dnews121106.shtml#1
 
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chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
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They know how to do it, and it’s been done before. It cost $3 million when it was done in 2006, including some sand added in Sosua and Puerto Plata.

Here are some fotos of the work when it was done.

jrciva.jpg


2hpoviv.jpg


The new sand was a lighter color than what was here previously and they added about 4 feet of depth as I recall. Along the whole bay.

We are just getting back down to some of the original sand and the shiny glistening rocks near the shoreline at sunrise that I recall from my first time in cabarete back in 2000.

Many who weren’t here prior to 2006 don’t have a clue that what has washed away in the last decade, was what was pumped in (from Río San Juan área as I was told at the time but can’t say for certain).

From DR1 News at the time:

“New beach for Cabarete
According to Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez, the government has spent three million dollars on the reconstruction of Cabarete's beach. A total of 280,000 cubic meters of new sand was dumped on the beach, and the 2.5-kilometer stretch can now handle as many as 100,000 beachgoers at one time. Funding for the project, which includes Puerto Plata and Sosua beaches as well as Cabarete, came from a passenger tax and private sector contributions with the Puerto Plata Hotel Association playing a principal role.”

http://dr1.com/news/2006/dnews121106.shtml#1

But a breakwater is a lot more costly than $3 million. And 2006 dollars for inflation 12 years later ... who can guess what the same temporary fix would cost today
 

beeza

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Nov 2, 2006
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But a breakwater is a lot more costly than $3 million. And 2006 dollars for inflation 12 years later ... who can guess what the same temporary fix would cost today

I would say that 12 years is a bit more than a temporary fix.

I really hope that the gov will do something about this. Just think if they could get back what Canoa and Morfe stole from the Cabarete coffers we would have a beautiful beach right now.
 

Uzin

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Oct 26, 2005
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Good find CFA123, I remember when that works was going on, big project (I guess it saved Cabarete for 12 years), was not sure of exact details, let's hope they do it again....
 

drstock

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Oct 29, 2010
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Cabarete
I'm sure this would need money from central government. The problem is that the government doesn't seem interested in the north coast any more.
 

ohmmmm

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Jun 11, 2010
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I'm sure this would need money from central government. The problem is that the government doesn't seem interested in the north coast any more.

Yes, it sure seems that way. I don't mind that too much though... But I would hope they would invest some more money into infrastructure here. The main road need new pavement, widening in some areas between Sosua and Puerto Plata, a ring road around Cabarete, nice street lights in the tourist downtown areas and water reservoir. The area is getting a nice road between Santiago and Puerto Plata and hopefully some help with the renovation of the port and new ports that might come. There is only one main road. I am sure that if it were re-paved and maintained, that would give many small investors confidence in the area. As for the beach, a study about the migration of sand might help. People really come for to the beach, weather they swim in it or just take a walk and look at it. A nice beach is what they are coming here for.
 

Salsafan

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Aug 17, 2011
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The same happens in some beaches in Las terrenas. But they have more beaches to choose from.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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Good find CFA123, I remember when that works was going on, big project (I guess it saved Cabarete for 12 years), was not sure of exact details, let's hope they do it again....

that was when i moved to DR. cannot speak of cabarete but they also rebuilt long beach in PP back then and that one held up well. of course the water itself is dirty and i would not swim on the malecon but the beach did not erode that much.