January 16, 2024

The most heartbreaking part of my mile report today is that I couldn't even walk my entire mile due to shifting sand and the subsequent tide (even though I did this at low tide,) preventing a safe northward walk. I have been walking on this stretch of beach since the early seventies and never-- even five or ten years ago, would you not had adequate distance to walk the beach from the surf to the foredune. I provided on pic looking north on my mile from the top of a revetment that was installed a few years ago, that's the only way I could get a glimpse of it safely.

Report Details

The most heartbreaking part of my mile report today is that I couldn't even walk my entire mile due to shifting sand and the subsequent tide (even though I did this at low tide,) preventing a safe northward walk. I don't like to stir-up controversy, but I have to admit from my gut, this change in the sand migration is due to the recent (last few years) of shore armoring that has taken place on the north end of this mile. I have been walking on this stretch of beach since the early seventies and never-- even five or ten years ago, would you not had adequate distance to walk the beach from the surf to the foredune. There is only one thing that's changed in my untrained mind on this whole stretch: lots and lots of OPRD approved shore armoring. It has honestly changed my attempts to report this mile over the last eighteen months; I barely got by the armor rocks on my last report at low tide! I provided on pic looking north on my mile from the top of a revetment that was installed a few years ago, that's the only way I could get a glimpse of it safely.

Conditions

Temperature: 38 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: 1.6 feet.

Notable Wildlife

No one on the this mile today best I could tell...few bird, mostly gulls.

Driftline Content

Small rocks, Shells, Wood pieces, Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.). Lots of styrofoam pieces left over from the king tides, various other pieces of garbage-- even some metal.

Natural Changes

Landslides/major boulder falls, Major cracks appearing in bluffs, Newly exposed roots/trees falling, Erosion of vegetated foredune, Visible retreat of solid bluff, Evidence of wave overtopping. Major changes to some areas of my mile. An entire bluff essentially collapsed onto the beach along with the stored rip-rap boulders that were to be used for future project(s). I attached a before and after pic so one could see the scope of the change. Long stretches of my mile were exposed after last week's king tides: rip-rap installed long ago is now exposed and erosion to the foredune and overtopping was clearly evident.

Report Images

Report Images

Barry Howarth

CoastWatcher

All Mile 237 Reports

Date

Showing 8 of 49 reports

Mile 237

Gleneden Beach north, golf course

March 12, 2024

The most important factor for me personally with the changes I've observed in this section of my mile is how impactful the shoreline armoring has been on the beach to the south.

Barry Howarth

Mile 237

Gleneden Beach north, golf course

January 16, 2024

The most heartbreaking part of my mile report today is that I couldn't even walk my entire mile due to shifting sand and the subsequent tide (even though I did this at low tide,) preventing a safe northward walk. I have been walking on this stretch of beach since the early seventies and never-- even five or ten years ago, would you not had adequate distance to walk the beach from the surf to the foredune. I provided on pic looking north on my mile from the top of a revetment that was installed a few years ago, that's the only way I could get a glimpse of it safely.

Barry Howarth