On the brink of collapse
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| Scituate’s downtown is built either on stilts or is abutting the sea. (Rachel Playe/ecoRI News) |
The three Massachusetts towns of Scituate, Marshfield and Duxbury are particularly susceptible to the dangers of storm surges, coastal erosion and sea-level rise.
In fact, Jim O'Connell believes Scituate is the most vulnerable coastal community in the state. He should know.
Besides being a coastal geologist and coastal land-use specialist, O’Connell lives in the seaside Scituate village of Brant Rock.
“Scituate is the most hazardous community in Massachusetts when it comes to damage done by erosion and storms,” said O’Connell, who runs Coastal Erosion Advisory Services.
O’Connell was a featured speaker at November’s IECA conference. He noted that the waters off the Northeast coast have risen 360 feet in the past 20,000 years. He said coastal erosion and sea-level rise are accelerating. He pointed to Nantasket Beach in intensely developed Hull as another seaside community that should be concerned.
“We already know erosion control structures and bank nourishment are temporary and will require frequent maintenance,” he said.
As far back as 1994, the Army Corps of Engineers predicted that 74 structures could potentially be lost in the next 50 years along Hummarock Beach in Scituate as a result of erosion.
Last year, to better understand their situation, the three municipalities hired Kleinfelder Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., an engineering, scientific and architectural consulting firm, to study the impacts of sea-level rise and erosion in 25-, 50- and 75-year intervals.
The towns’ coastlines have experienced extensive damage over the years from storm-related flooding, according to the 136-page report. A major concern highlighted in the report was the future of emergency access to neighborhoods in Scituate, including Brant Rock, Rexhame, Macomber Ridge and Bartlett’s Island Way.
That doesn’t mean Massachusetts’ other 75 coastal-zone communities shouldn’t be concerned. The Cape Cod National Seashore, for instance, is facing enormous pressures caused by erosion. Many homes along the coastal banks of southern Plymouth and the east shore of Nantucket are at high risk to long- and short-term erosion. Springhill Beach in Sandwich, while exhibiting a relatively low average annual rate of erosion, is susceptible to storm-induced erosion.
In Connecticut, 9 percent of the state’s coastline is critically eroding. Shoreline property owners in Milford are becoming disgruntled because they can’t afford to deal with erosion, according to Barrett of Connecticut Sea Grant.
In Rhode Island, South Kingstown and Charlestown face the biggest erosion challenges. Some areas of the Ocean State have lost 100 feet of coast in the past 15 years, according to the CRMC.
“It’s the worst in South Kingstown and gets progressively better as you head to Westerly,” said CRMC’s Dwyer. “Areas where you have a rocky cliff tend to be less impacted. Sandy shorelines or unconsolidated sediments along the shore are subject to more erosion.”
For instance, Charlestown Town Beach has lost about 150 feet to erosion since 1939. More than 4 feet of sand wound up on Charlestown Beach Road as a result of Sandy. Waves caused by that 2012 superstorm tossed boulders around like beach balls along the Charlestown Breachway.
Of the six famed Browning Cottages at South Kingstown Town Beach, only one of the historic beach homes remains. The owner of the last home is staying, moving upward and inland — although little space remains on the lot and insurance is no longer available. The site is protected by a historic designation, so the owner can hold out as long as possible, within the rules. All septic must be stored in tanks. Only natural barriers made of coconut fiber and sand can protect the home from the sea. The last cottage will hold on as long as the owner is willing to pay to fight the sea.
In the South Kingstown village of Matunuck, the rapidly eroding shoreline threatens hundreds of coastal homes and businesses. “There’s no room for erosion,” CRMC's Freedman said. The biggest area of concern is Matunuck Beach Road — the only way in and out of the neighborhood. The road also protects a main water line that serves some 1,600 homes and businesses.
“There’s a real threat that Matunuck will break away and an island will be created,” Hanrahan said. “There’s no permanent solution to this problem.”
Erosion rates have increased so significantly in the past few decades that during high tide in some areas of Matunuck the shoreline is no wider than 12 feet. “Matunuck sand is going offshore and it’s not coming back,” Dwyer said.
Sandy also administered a severe beating to Westerly’s coastline. The storm pushed sand several blocks inland and caused major flooding. In Newport, the superstorm's fury damaged sections of the internationally known Cliff Walk and kept it closed for months while repairs were being made.
“You wonder why we allow people to build on the coast in certain areas,” Barrett said. “It all comes down to tax base. Let wealthy homeowners build so a community can increase its tax base.”
Rising waters
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| Parking lots, like this one in Scituate, Mass., and other impervious surfaces contribute to southern New England’s changing coastline. (Rachel Playe/ecoRI News) |
A rising sea, however, won’t actually destroy southern New England’s shoreline, but it will change the look of the coast dramatically — and perhaps quickly. New England’s seas are rising at an annual rate three to four times faster than the global average. Scientists predict that the seas here could rise nearly 3 feet by the end of the century.
The homes, docks, decks and roads that don’t go swimming will cost more to maintain and insure.
“We really need to consider the impact of sea-level rise,” Hanrahan said. “Nature pays no attention to rules and regulations. It doesn’t see the difference between Rhode Island and Connecticut regulations.”
Rhode Island officials agree that protecting Matunuck Beach Road from erosion is paramount and have approved the construction of a 202-foot-long sheet-pile wall. The wall isn’t intended to protect nearby businesses, such as the popular bar Ocean Mist, which is slowly being taken out to sea. It’s also only a temporary solution, because taming a complex coastal ecosystem is impossible.
To help draw better attention to the issue of rising sea levels, climate change and coastal erosion, the Rhode Island Student Climate Coalition held a rally late last year in a downtown Providence park entitled “Welcome to Rhode Island 2100, The Under the Ocean-State.”
“The impacts of a changing climate have to be reported and discussed,” said Brown University student Kevin Chen, a member of the climate coalition. “We need to focus on adaptation and mitigation.”
Warwick resident Jason Caldeira happened to be in the park when the coalition's demonstration began. He appreciated the message and agreed that more must be done to address this complex issue. “If we don’t start doing something now to raise awareness and deal with this reality, we’re going to be underwater.”
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| This beachfront house in Westerly is getting a lift. (Frank Carini/ecoRI News) |
How are we adapting?
First, it’s important to note that while coastal erosion is a major economic problem to the developed environment, there are many areas, including southern New England, where erosion provides an important benefit — it’s a major source of sand for functioning beaches and dunes. Without coastal erosion, many biologically productive bays, estuaries and salt marshes, not to mention revenue-generating beaches, would not exist.
“Erosion is a process, not a problem,” said Barrett of Connecticut Sea Grant. “We’re not going to stop it from happening. We have to work with it.”
The towns of Scituate, Duxubury and Marshfield are laying the foundation for helping determine how rising sea levels and coastal erosion will impact public infrastructure and private property. They also are demonstrating that working in collaboration with state and local organizations leads to a regional focus on this important issue.
Officials in all three southern New England states are working to better educate city and town building departments and municipal officials about the importance of thinking differently when it comes to coastal development.
“It’s a behavior change,” Hanrahan said. “Just because something was written down in the 1980s doesn’t mean it works today.”
Through the Shoreline Change Project, the coastline of Massachusetts has been delineated and analyzed to demonstrate trends. The towns of Stonington and Greenwich, Conn., have implemented coastal management overlay zones designed to limit the potential impact of coastal flooding and erosion.
Along the scenic Westerly coast, some buildings have been moved 30 or so feet back; others are being built higher off the ground. Nearly 200 beach parking spaces have been removed to create a bigger coastal buffer. Tennis courts wiped out by Sandy weren’t replaced — the space is now reserved for blankets. Some of the “permanent” snack bars that once lined the town’s popular beaches are now on wheels — able to flee the scene when an angry Mother Nature approaches.
Dune
restoration projects in the region are ongoing. These natural piles of sand,
and the grass that grows from them, are an excellent line of defense against
the encroaching sea. They are nature’s way of protecting beaches and they need
to be preserved, not plowed over to make way for development and better views.
“Should we be taking out something that nature put there to protect us?” Hanrahan asked. “Should we be allowed to build there?” The answer appears to be no.
Many scientists and coastal-erosion experts argue that rather than restore costly seawalls and other engineered coastal defenses, it would be more efficient to restore wetlands, salt marshes, barrier islands and other ecosystems that have traditionally served as buffer zones for coastal communities.
Coastal vegetation native to southern New England can help save shoreline property. But there’s a catch. “Nobody wants anything to interrupt their view or access, just grass,” Barrett said. Even if that means an obstructed view helps save a property from taking a swim.
“People don’t appreciate the power of water to change landscapes,” said Julie LaBranche, a senior planner at Rockingham Planning Commission who spoke at last year’s erosion control conference in Warwick.
They soon will, if southern New England isn’t smart enough or quick enough to adapt.
“Should we be taking out something that nature put there to protect us?” Hanrahan asked. “Should we be allowed to build there?” The answer appears to be no.
Many scientists and coastal-erosion experts argue that rather than restore costly seawalls and other engineered coastal defenses, it would be more efficient to restore wetlands, salt marshes, barrier islands and other ecosystems that have traditionally served as buffer zones for coastal communities.
Coastal vegetation native to southern New England can help save shoreline property. But there’s a catch. “Nobody wants anything to interrupt their view or access, just grass,” Barrett said. Even if that means an obstructed view helps save a property from taking a swim.
“People don’t appreciate the power of water to change landscapes,” said Julie LaBranche, a senior planner at Rockingham Planning Commission who spoke at last year’s erosion control conference in Warwick.
They soon will, if southern New England isn’t smart enough or quick enough to adapt.
