April 23, 2008
The Enigmatic Terminal Groin
Figure 8 Island, backed by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) and its N.C. member group with a slightly different name, is busy promoting a terminal groin on Figure 8 Island to save a dozen buildings. The marine science community of North Carolina strongly disagrees with the claims made to promote the structure because it will damage (increase erosion rates) adjacent beaches and will be the first retreat from North Carolina's laws that prohibit hard stabilization on our beaches. North Carolina’s “anti-seawall” law has put this state in better shape to respond to sea level rise than any other coastal state.
Promoters argue that the terminal groin will not create problems, which is not true. The very phrase “terminal groin” is a lie of Baron Munchausen proportions! It was a term first used incorrectly at Oregon Inlet to avoid the inflammatory word "jetty" after a long nationally- prominent societal battle over jetty construction. After 25 years' worth of evidence had accumulated indicating that building a jetty at Oregon Inlet wouldn’t work, the state said, “We're not building a jetty – we're building a terminal groin.” And just as predicted, the 3000-foot Oregon Inlet jetty has created immense and very costly erosion problems.
Everything about the Figure 8 terminal groin seems disingenuous, from its name, to the claims of how the structure will work, and even to the technical literature claimed to support the structure, which is basically non-existent. Perhaps the ASBPA should be called the American Shorefront Building Preservation Association and Pinocchio could be the organization’s mascot.
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19 Comments Add yours »
Changing the language doesn’t change the facts!
I’d also note that the head of the latest independent-sounding group mentioned by Dr. Pilkey – (American Shore and Beach…) is Mayor Harry Simmons of Caswell Beach, North Carolina – a huge booster of the idea of having more jetties off NC beaches:
http://www.asbpa.org/about_us/about_us_officers.htm
ASBPA has not taken any position on a terminal groin at Figure 8 or at any other North Carolina island or inlet. ASBPA’s science and technology committee, made up of internationally prominent scientists and engineers, both practicing and academic, created a position paper on terminal groins. It includes specific references to various published documents, unlike for the positions being taken by some others. I was not involved in any way in its content before, during or after its publication. The document speaks for itself and does not need me to comment further. http://www.asbpa.org/pdfs/ASBPATerminalGroinsatCoastalInletsPositionPaperFinal.pdf
And I will state once and for all that I do not now, nor have I ever advocated for the addition of a jetty at a North Carolina inlet, either personally or on behalf of any organization in which I am involved. I understand the difference in design and function between a jetty and a terminal groin.
Finally, the continued efforts by Dr. Pilkey and his followers to misidentify a terminal groin as a jetty is disingenuous at best and an attempt to intentionally mislead the public at worst. I’m confident Dr. Pilkey knows better and am surprised that such a respected academician would stoop to such tactics.
Mr. Simmons – so, as leader of the ASBPA, you had nothing – absolutely nothing – to do with the publication of that position paper? That’s a little hard to believe!
Harry Simmons says: “ASBPA’s science and technology committee, made up of internationally prominent scientists and engineers, both practicing and academic, created a position paper on terminal groins”
Please note that this committee that Mr Simmons refers to was chaired by Tom Campbell, the President of CPE, the company designing the terminal groin (jetty) project for Figure 8. One other committee member is CPE’s Principal Marine Geologist. Conflict of interest……….? Certainly.
By the way, the Army Corps of Engineers defines a jetty as: “On open seacoasts, a structure extending into a body of water which is designed to prevent shoaling of a channel by littoral materials and to direct or confine the tidal flow. Jetties are built at the mouths of rivers or tidal inlets to help deepen or stabilize the channel” (Appendix A-42)
The proposed Bill (599) refers to a structure that will “stabilize ocean inlets”. Groins are not used to stabilize inlets.
This is clearly a jetty.
Mr. Searing: I do not know you and you obviously do not know me or you would know better than to question my statements. Again, if I say I had nothing to do with the content of the document, that is the case.
Dr. Young: The principal author, I have now been told, was Dr. Tim Kana. I’m not aware that he has anything to do with Figure 8. The other members of the committee reviewed the document and made comments or suggestions, if any, before the committee approved its content.
As for the 3 words out of many that you refer to (“stabilize ocean inlets”) I have disagreed with those 3 words since SB599 was introduced. Perhaps those words can be expunged from the final version before it is adopted as that is not, nor has it ever been, the intent of this legislation. As I understand it the text was written by someone in Legislative Bill Drafting. As with many pieces of legislation, I’m confident it will be fine tuned.
Mr Simmons: I am glad to see you on record as opposing SB599.
[...] they want. In this case, it appears possible that a change in coastal law overwhelmingly opposed by scientists and the public may have a fresh new chance of becoming law. Chris spells out how wealthy property [...]
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It smells like political semantics to me, a jetty is located at an inlet or river mouth and is a type of groyne/groin. Terminal groins when used to influence current and trap sand at an inlet or river mouth are by definition jetties. Take a look at the Kure Beach website and you see a picture of groyne fields used to trap sand mislabeled as jetties, no inlet. Ask yourself if the erosion at the Riggins and Fort Fisher could have been caused by these groins/jetties? (http://www.townofkurebeach.org/historyPhotos.html)
Harry Simmons is a very generous activist/lobbyist for coastal issues. President of ASBPA, Executive Director NCBIWA and an organizer in the Brunswick Beaches Consortium who are soliciting funds to continue to lobby for 599. It is my understanding that the NCBIWA will administrate these funds.
It has also been communicated that ASBPA and NCBIWA passed on direct involvement in lobbing the legislators so not to give up their political clout on the controversial issue of hardened structures.
Hardened structures on the coast have proven to be detrimental, jetty, groyne, and breakwater, pick a card any card, unfortunately past generations allowed for the development so close to the oceanfront and we that depend on it to make a living have inherited a mess. Let’s spend our time and money on stabilizing our dune systems, identifying sand sources and a functional beach re- nourishment program. The line in the sand is drawn and the folks who built on the ocean side of it are scratching and clawing to embrace any micro solution to preserve their wealth.
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