Sea Pines sea wall will destroy the beach and quality of life
When I read the article about the new seawall proposed in Sea Pines in front of five properties, I thought I was stepping back in time.
The assumptions made about that seawall are stunningly wrong (even though this seawall is supposed to extend only 1 ½ feet above the beach), almost as though this is the first seawall ever built on an ocean beach.
Here’s what is very likely to happen, based on our global experience with seawalls.
The beach in front of the wall will narrow and eventually disappear. Covering the wall with sand won’t fool the ocean.
As a consequence, the erosion rate on adjacent beaches will dramatically increase.
The next event will be the construction of seawalls on the adjacent properties and following that, the original seawall as well as the others will increase in height and size.
Meanwhile, at any moment, when the next big storms occur, the original five houses will be damaged or destroyed, seawall or no seawall.
In a time of rapidly rising sea level, the time has come to plan the future in the context of so much experience in shoreline management.
You’re going to have to move the houses back eventually. You may as well move them now.
Seawalls destroy beaches and destroy the quality of life in beach communities.
Orrin H. Pilkey
James B. Duke Professor emeritus of earth sciences
Nicholas School of the Environment
Duke University
Durham, N.C.
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This story was originally published May 8, 2018 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Sea Pines sea wall will destroy the beach and quality of life."