A Unique Way To Fight Beach Erosion
February 23, 2008 by Paul Birman · Leave a Comment
Groins, rip rap (boulders) and conventional ways to fight beach erosion have been demonstrated to be ineffective, generally just robbing Peter to pay Paul. Now a Danish company is demonstrating a system of buried tubes called Pressure Equalizing Modules (PEM) and is hoping to demonstrate at Hillsboro Beach, Florida, that their system dramatically slows the amount of beach sand erosion caused by wave action. The company is EcoShore International, Inc.
Beach nourishment is costly and controversial and lasts only to the next big storm. At Hillsboro Beach and elsewhere, retreating waves drag the sand out to sea lowering the beach. The buried PEMS, about as big around as soda bottles, have horizontal vents, thinner than a hair that admit water, but bar the sand. They are designed to let the retreating sea water drain through them but leave the sand behind.
It may well be that the technology is adaptable to the east end beaches which have to contend with regular visits by nor’easters and lesser storms. There is more information here.
This looks like such a simple and inexpensive solution to the problems many of us are having. But I just don’t get the lease concept! How can anyone pay forever? According to the sample projects it looks like the chuch on the eroding bank stopped paying the lease after a few years, and will now fall into the sea….But what a great idea! Wish I saw that before I paid for the rocks.