Should Coastlines Be Managed? Essay, Research Paper

In the British Isles coastal areas have always attracted settlement. People come for a holiday or they might have a second home by the sea. Many retired people also live near the sea, seeking a quiet and refreshing place to spend the rest of their lives. Tourism has also spread up the coastline bringing more people and so more resources have been set up to accommodate them. Pathways have been built along the coast to bring easy access to the tourists. However, along Britain´s coasts, erosion is taking place which potentially destroys cliffs, houses and moves beaches. Coasts are managed to keep the sea out and to keep the beach in. In 1990, Mappleton was under threat from losing 30 houses along the coast of Holderness. Its main road would´ve disappeared into the sea and would be very expensive to rebuild. So, a coastal management scheme was set up. Blocks of granite were imported from Norway so two groynes could be built. This would trap the beach sediment that is being eroded away due to longshore drift. This would then absorb some of the energy from the waves so less energy would be directed on the cliff’s side. This would reduce erosion. Many people thought that Mappleton should just be allowed to disappear into the sea, however it is very difficult to express this. Groynes are very expensive to make and last for approximately ten years. Even though these can look ugly, the beach ‘collected´ does absorb more energy. The cliffs of Mappleton are also made up of clay and sand and the waves can wash this away very easily. This is why Mappleton have also invested in a sea wall to add extra defence from the waves. These costs are very expensive because the wall and groynes need to be maintained however it is necessary if there are a lot of people to protect. At Barton-on-Sea, there is the problem again of very soft rock. At the water´s edge the cliff is made of clay and at the top there is soft sand. When it rains, the rain is soaked into the sand and since sand is permeable the water drains right through. The clay underneath turns soggy and the clay and sand fall causing a landslide or a slip. With extra erosion from the sea, this is a large problem. Barton-on-Sea has people living near the coast and it has spent a great deal of money on looking after the coastline. Over one million pounds have been spent on various different methods. There is no choice about a beach because the south westerly wind prevents that. Boulders have been put in the sea to absorb some of the wave´s energy. Sea wall, drains and drainage pipes have been erected to prevent extra erosion. These methods are very expensive again and will take time and energy to maintain. The boulders will look ugly and so will the pipes sticking out of the side of the cliff.

In Scarborough, there are sandy beaches on either side of the headland, both of which tourists visit. Behind the beach there is a promenade and kiosks selling drinks, ice cream and other beach necessities. They already have a large sea wall, which runs the full length of the bay. In 1993 a famous hotel collapsed as the cliff beneath it gave way. The sea wall has proved being very effective here in Scarborough and no other method of coastal management has yet been advised. Dawlish Warren has a sandspit, which is used for nature reserves and as a nice place to walk upon. A sea wall at the southern end of the spit protects the railway from falling to it the sea. The chalk cliffs are being battered by corrasion and are forming caves and stacks which weaken the cliff and it eventually falls down. A breakwater reduces the energy from the waves and ensures less energy hitting the cliffs therefore less erosion. A wave-cut platform is visible at low tide, that much of the cliffs have been eroded already. Rock armour was used to protect the coast just before the spit and this is quite cheap compared to the groynes that they have also used. The groynes have been used at the part of the spit more likely to wash away due to long shore drift and even the wind blowing the sand inland. The beach reduced the energy taken out by the waves. This is beneficial for the nature reserves and the wildlife that need to be preserved in the spit. However after a while all of the means of coastal protection at Dawlish Warren will need to be replaced because of the effect of nature will reduce them to smithereens. In Studland Spit, lots of people visit the spit and most come of the beach and dunes. However, the spit is being destroyed through human erosion trampling on dunes and paths that haven´t been followed. Litter increases by day and fires are started because cigarette buds set fire to the dry heather and gorse. The wildlife are therefore disturbed. So, to stop all this human erosion, all facilities would be increased, car parks and toilets and paths will be closed off and so will the dunes. Marram grass will be planted to hold the sand together so it doesn´t blow inland. Fire hydrants are being put near the area most susceptible to fire. However, even with all this protection, the National Trust wishes to restrict the spit to only nature fanatic groups. The spit must be protected because it is unlikely that it will grow any more due to sea depth and clashing winds.

Overall, the best methods of coastal management have been the ones that are beneficial to ALL the people or that effect them. The sea wall, groynes and offshore breakwater are the most often used. Not because they are less expensive, in the contrary they are more efficient. These all absorb most of the waves energy and this prevents excess erosion. The gabions, stones in wire brackets, and the concrete revetment are ugly and will cause people not to come to your beach rather than to come. The beach nourishment hasn´t been performed by any of the examples mentioned and this is because it is only useful in the short term, not in the long term. Once you add more sand the wind or sea will take it away again. Coastal management is important especially if someone´s home or job is at risk. If tourism is the only means of income in the town then saving the beach would be appropriate. However, if you interfere in nature something will always happen to get back at what you did. With the groynes, they will be stopping all the sediment going further down the coast, and they will be experiencing extra erosion because the waves won´t have anything to absorb the energy. It is best to do nothing, just have a beach that will absorb the energy. Care will have to be taken in storms, however not very many people can interfere with nature and get away with it!