The Coastal Management Branch of the City of Cape Town commenced its annual beach-lowering programme today, 6 September 2023, at Fish Hoek Beach. Thereafter, the project will proceed with the work at Muizenberg, Gordon’s Bay and Bikini Beach.
This forms part of the City’s Dunes and Beach Maintenance Management Plan, which seeks to prevent beach levels from building up to such an extent that sand gets blown or ‘spills over’ onto adjacent infrastructure.
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Within the Mother City, beach profiles generally tend to be raised on the West Coast due to prevailing south-easterly winds and relatively calm seas in summer, while in winter, beach profiles tend to drop as a result of exposure to higher seas and subsequent erosion.
The opposite is true for Cape Town’s False Bay coastline.
The City said beach lowering or re-profiling is essential in maintaining ecological stability in highly altered coastal systems to mitigate and manage windblown sand, protect public and private infrastructure situated near the beach and ensure recreational users can continue enjoying the coastal environment.
The City added that, if all goes as planned, all the beaches will have been lowered by the end of November, just in time for the coming festive season.
Beach lowering or re-profiling has become an annual task for the City’s coastal management team.
‘These beaches will be mechanically lowered prior to the summer wind season to reduce windblown sand problems, and we plan to do this annually,’ said City’s deputy mayor and MMC for spatial planning and environment, Eddie Andrews.
‘Lowering of beach levels enables greater areas of beach to be wet during high tides, therefore limiting the potential for wind-blown sand to inundate adjacent roads and infrastructure,’ reiterated Andrews.
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The following areas along the beach will be lowered:
- Fish Hoek Beach: From Jagger’s Walk, in front of the Gallery restaurant, to the stormwater outlet in front of the main parking area
- Muizenberg Beach: From Surfer’s Corner to the Zandvlei River mouth
- Gordon’s Bay Beach: From the Spur restaurant to the end of the parking area in the north
- Bikini Beach: The entire length of the beach
Although beach access is not restricted during the work, users are advised to keep a safe distance from the machinery while on the beach.
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Picture: City of Cape Town / Facebook