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Engineering report needed to repair Point Clark shoreline out of line By Darrell Ziegler Council for Huron-Kinloss discussed the hefty price tag of $30,000-$50,000 for the engineering report needed before removing the groynes which have helped muck up the shoreline in Point Clark, after they were built by cottage owners wanting sandier beaches in the 70’s. The groynes are located south of the Point Clark lighthouse, starting near Attawandaron Road and going south towards Amberley Beach. The man-made channels restrict water flow, trapping sludge, which ends up settling around the lighthouse. The engineer’s reports were suggested by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, (MNR) to study the impacts to the lakeshore and the cost of physically removing the groynes. Although it’s believed to be in the best interest of the township and the environment to remove the groynes so that the water could flow naturally and reduce the build up of slug and algae on the beach, council did not agree with the price for the report. All thought it was inflated and thought the job could be done much cheaper. “I can’t see it being more than $10,000, to $15,000,” said administrator Mary Rose Walden. Councillor Jim Hanna thought even that price was out of line. “I was thinking $3,000 to $5,000.” “$30,000 to $50,000 is way out of line,” said Eadie. Parks and recreation superintendent Mike Fair suggested talking to Geoff Peach, of the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation. “We could get Geoff to put some feelers out.” Hanna suggested petitioning the federal government, as what’s off shore is the responsibility of the DFO. Walden agreed, “It isn’t the municipalities job, it’s the federal government. Fair said that the “DFO was receptive of the idea of removing the groynes,” however neither they or the MNR had funding available to help. Hanna thought spending that much money to study the obvious was unnecessary. “Predicting what will happen when taking out the groynes isn’t hard. The mechanisms are well known. It will certainly reduce the build up near the lighthouse.” Council agreed they were a problem and hoped pressure on the federal government may help persuade them to help cover the costs. Walden said, “The municipality and our residents should put pressure on the government (for the engineer’s report).” As for the cost of removing them once the report was completed, Hanna said, “I don’t think the physical removal of the groynes would be very expensive.” “I think we have to proceed with this,” he said. “I’ve seen it look like a sewer (by the lighthouse).” “It’s something we need to do. We have to talk to Geoff (Peach) about it,” said Twolan. Eadie commented that it was brought up as a concern during the 2006 election. At that meeting, Hanna said, “Now’s the time to get rid of them. They have become a nesting area for geese and other water fowl.” Large numbers of birds, particularly in areas where water flow has been restricted, can add greatly to the amount of bacteria in the water. PCBA president Don Thorp told council that there’s concern property values will suffer because of the sludge and algae build up. Mayor Mitch Twolan said the township shares the beach associations concerns but warns, “There’s going to be a cost. You also have to remember that it was lakefront property owners that made the groynes. I’ve had calls from other property owners in Point Clark that do not want any tax payer money being used to take them out.” As for the groynes, in past interviews, Peach from the Coastal Centre has been quite clear as to the positive effects of removing them in respect to the Point Clark Beach area. Peach said the groynes restrict water flow along the shoreline and cause sludge and sediment to settle in beach areas on both sides of the lighthouse. “They are pretty effective at stopping currents.” “The sludge tends to gravitate in the pockets. The organic matter and plants decompose and cause an odour.” The sludge is actually the result of plants and algae that settle in the channels that were dug out by the lakefront cottage owners. The vegetation eventually rots and causes a stench. The water tends to flow north, gradually picking up the sludge as it runs over/through the groynes, before moving along to the beaches north of the lighthouse. The sand bottom on the beach north of the lighthouse then gets covered in sludge, making it at times undesirable for swimmers to use. “When it reaches that point, plant particles and plant matter will interfere with the water flow, causing it to back up and cause an odour,” he said. Peach said that if the groynes were gone, it would not only help with the sludge and algae build up, but the shoreline south of the lighthouse could see a return of sandier beaches. “The groynes interfere with sand transferring along the shoreline, as they restrict the flow. Filling them would be a very simple way to free up the transfer process.” He said timing is also important when filling the channels. “We can’t interfere with fish habitats or spawning practices.” |
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