HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-08-19, Page 17Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, August 19, 2009 - Page A17
Erosion hard to predict, prevent for Bluewater Beach
From page 5.
not only drainage benefits, but economical
too, as it cost the town nothing in materials.
"We already had it, so we didn't have to
buy it," she said.
Whether the trail lasts one year or five is
all dependent on nature. Human intervention
can only go so far, she said.
However, the installation of drainage
into any bank is a gamble, according to the
MVCA.
One look into Bluewater Beach gully re-
veals drain pipes extending from properties
down into the gully. Walking down the trail
to the water's edge, little remains of the path
that could at one point allow a vehicle to drive
down with ease.
While the drainage serves as a way to get
rid of the water fast on surface properties
with as little contact with the banks as pos-
sible, Jackson said there are a few main dan-
gers involved in the process.
Any disturbance of the soil in installing the
drain could lead to further erosion. Further
to that, any moisture following the outside
of the drain down to its terminus loosens the
soil surrounding the pipe, creating unstable
conditions.
This is heightened if any vegitation is re=
moved during the work, Jackson said.
"It's a good thing if we can take the water
to the toe of the bluff," he said. "Unfortunate-
ly there have been too many good examples
where that work has been done and too many
failures "
However, this is not limited to the small
community south of Goderich.
"What we're seeing at Bluewater is what is
happening to the rest of the Lakeshore," Jack-
son said. "Multiple erosion problems hap-
pening at once."
That increase of water into the subsoil, he
said, creates more peak water flow into the
gullies, and if they don't get washed out from
the top down, they will eventually get washed
out by the lake.
Rather than bolster the gullies, Jackson said
it is likely lakeshore property owners will
face relocation of their residences. Though,
this too is risky and potentially destabilizing
Jackson said the MVCA encourages all
cottagers and lakeside residents living within
Photo submitted
Art attack
Andrea Longstaff, Egmondville, children's art teacher for Elizabeth's Art Gallery,
has her class of thirteen local budding artists painting up a storm on the sidewalk
outside the gallery on the Courthouse Square.
the conservation authority contact them first
before building or renovating. Municipal
building departments, he said, have been very
good working partners in environmentally -
conscious design.
For Bluewater Beach, the MVCA are in
the process of mapping the erosion potential
from the mouth of the gully up to Highway
21.
The outlook? That depends largely on na-
ture's course.
"It's not a uniform erosion rate- and that
makes it difficult to predict," Jackson said.
"Perhaps maybe we won't see any significant
events. Perhaps there will be a significant
event.
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"lt depends on the weather patterns we
get."
The MVCA is hosting a public meeting
August 22 at the Columbus Centre on Par-
sons Court, Goderich, highlighting their
mapping updates and comparative data from
1936 - 2006. Historically, the erosion rates
are comparable, he said, but as this winter
proved, it can all wash away in an instant.
The public meeting starts at 10 a.m. and
property owners will have the opportunity to
speak following presentations.
For more information on the meeting, call
519-335-3557 or visit www.mvca.on.ca.
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