Did you know that...
Parlee Beach experiences natural erosion each year during fall, winter and spring seasons as a result of the winds, waves and storm surges. Sand erodes from the beach little by little, but eventually the erosion is visible and if the beach is not ‘nourished’, sand is either forced up onto the dunes or it is washed farther down the shore line.
In order to maintain the beach, sand is excavated from an area adjacent to the Pointe-du-Chêne Wharf and trucked to Parlee Beach. By doing this, the effects of the erosion from year to year are repaired and the beach is again sandy and enjoyable for those visiting each summer. The Department of Tourism and Parks has undertaken this practice, known as 'beach nourishment’, for nearly 20 years.
The Dune Restoration Project
The yearly nourishment involves replacing the sand (500 min.-1700 max. truck loads) along the beach and then leveling it off between the dune and low water mark. By doing so, the beach is maintained but over time the dunes became too high. In some locations the dunes have been more than three meters higher than they were in 1990. Dune crests in other areas are approximately seven meters high. These same dunes were approximately two metres high in 1985 and approximately three metres high in 1990.
Over the past six years, the Department of Tourism and Parks has been studying alternatives for beach maintenance. In 2003, ACER Environmental Services was commissioned to undertake a study to review beach management approaches and alternatives. The status quo and an alternative option were explored. A combination of dune re-shaping and beach nourishment was recommended.
Tourism and Parks has consulted with the Departments of Natural Resources and Environment with regard to future options as they pertain to the Coastal Zone Protection Policy. Tourism and Parks has also reviewed the results and recommendations from the, New Brunswick Sea-Level Rise Study, which suggests:
| |
“On a national basis among the most severely threatened coastal areas are parts of the Atlantic Coast, including sections of the New Brunswick Gulf Coast. In this region sea level is already rising, with demonstrable impacts, and accelerated sea-level rise under greenhouse warming is expected to exacerbate these impacts with concomitant changes in adaptation requirements. Threats in this area come primarily from impacts of coastal flooding and erosion, and damage due to the impacts of ice caused by storm surge in winter. Parts of this study area are highly exposed to wave action during storms in the ice-free season, as demonstrated by shoreline and infrastructure damages experienced on October 29th, 2000.
Longer-term economic effects need to be considered in planning and regulations. Shediac Bay is a complex coastal and watershed area, highly vulnerable to coastal flooding. Nearby Parlee Beach is a valuable provincial asset and tourist resort.”
|
|
Parlee Beach is rebuilt every year. Much of the beach is washed away each winter. Almost 1,000 truckloads of sand are needed to rebuild the beach – this work is known as the Beach Nourishment Program.