Cabarete Beach Erosion issues

[drstock]

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.

Unfortunately, the same people who published the article in this post also made objections which put a stop to the ring road that had presidential approval a few years ago. That proposal also including renovation of Cabarete main street, which would have been very beneficial.

 

[windeguy]

Unfortunately, the same people who published the article in this post also made objections which put a stop to the ring road that had presidential approval a few years ago. That proposal also including renovation of Cabarete main street, which would have been very beneficial.

How would that have had anything at all to do with beach erosion?

 

[drstock]

How would that have had anything at all to do with beach erosion?

It has nothing to do with beach erosion, but I was responding to (and I quoted) ohmmmm's comment about having a ring-road around Cabarete.

 

[USA DOC]

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.

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

.....If you have been to the huge beaches in Rio ,Brazil.....they were made mostly by pumping sand... they are so big that from the sidewalk to the water can be 3 blocks, and that was done many ,many years ago...they have been there for generations.............Doc................

 

[Uzin]

.....If you have been to the huge beaches in Rio ,Brazil.....they were made mostly by pumping sand... they are so big that from the sidewalk to the water can be 3 blocks, and that was done many ,many years ago...they have been there for generations.............Doc................

Really, I thought Copa Cabana sand was just too perfect... ! Even all the bodies are too perfect and mostly fake on that beach (silicon)... lol

 

[cavok]

In South Florida, Hollywood(for some reason?) has suffered more beach erosion from storms than other beaches to the north and south. They have successfully restored the beach by pumping sand - several times.

 

[windeguy]

In South Florida, Hollywood(for some reason?) has suffered more beach erosion from storms than other beaches to the north and south. They have successfully restored the beach by pumping sand - several times.

Several times pumping sounds more like temporary than successfully.

 

[cavok]

Several times pumping sounds more like temporary than successfully.

I agree. I was being sarcastic about "successfully". In the case of South Florida that has a relatively straight coastline(unlike here on the north coast), I think the strong storms that cause the initial erosion also cause permanent changes in the seabed contour which will then continually promote new erosion in that area.

I think the same applies here on the north coast and just pumpimg sand is only a temporary solution as you said. Other contributing factors need to be considered.

 

[windeguy]

I agree. I was being sarcastic about "successfully". In the case of South Florida that has a relatively straight coastline(unlike here on the north coast), I think the strong storms that cause the initial erosion also cause permanent changes in the seabed contour which will then continually promote new erosion in that area.

I think the same applies here on the north coast and just pumpimg sand is only a temporary solution as you said. Other contributing factors need to be considered.

Some feel that the theft of sand from the mouths rivers up current to the east of Cabarete beach is a big factor to the loss of sand.

 

[cavok]

Some feel that the theft of sand from the mouths rivers up current to the east of Cabarete beach is a big factor to the loss of sand.

I'm sure they are right. Also, if one could look at the sea floor here in many areas what you would see is that it is deeply "grooved", a series of ridges and channels in many areas, and these are what cause the unusually strong rip currently here. During storms, they are also responsible for much of the "scouring effect" as these these rips literally suck sand off the beach.

Here is an interesting article regarding a relatively new approach to beach erosion using artificial reefs. The article specifically mentions rivers as a source of sand for the beaches.

https://journals.tdl.org/icce/index.php/icce/article/viewFile/6813/pdf

 

[sosuadr]

Great documentary on sand in general, talks about the dredging is only a stop gap measure, the river and beach erosion, and of course why the the 60meter rule is so important. Spread the word...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXo...-WCmCAPWvZNWtu2BhNGvnqGjzIWyrO3fxBJfj6LxOei3g

 

[cavok]

Time to start dredging Saudi Arabia!

 

[Uzin]

I had seen that documentary before, UAE, Singapore are the biggest sand thieves. I was looking to invest in companies who look for sand, I bet it soon becomes as valuable (if not more) than oil....

Now can someone please move some sand from the east side of the Sosua beach to the west end - it only takes a few trucks and a few days work... lol