The Dig to Save Clam Pass: Day 177 11/8/2014 Here we go again. There are storm waves brewing in the Gulf of Mexico and a big new weather system is moving in. When I arrived on the beach this morning I could instantly see that a huge amount of erosion had occurred overnight. A large erosion shelf formed down by the peninsula and the grass pile where I store my digging tools has begun to be undermined. I fully expect it to go in the next week if not in the next few days. One way or the other, it will eventually be claimed by the sea. With an early winter storm bearing down on us tomorrow I am worried enough about this possibility that I moved all the shovels and wheelbarrows up to a new location by the dunes, far away from the reach of the waves. Volunteers should now look for the tools there and stow them back up safely when finished working. I had a visit from a physicist today who heard about me from the Naples Daily News article that ran on October 23rd. She had contacted me online and we had planned on meeting. I briefed her about all the changes that have occurred this summer on the beach -- which way the sand has been moving, etc. -- and we are going to work together on brainstorming new methods that I might use to better control the course of the pass. So far I have managed to quadruple the channel in width and steer it back to the south somewhat, as well as greatly increase the amount of water flowing back to the mangroves, but this is still not enough. There is an absolutely incomprehensible amount of sand piled up in sand bars a few hundred yards outside the mouth of the pass just waiting for the right conditions (for example, a winter storm like the one that is headed our way over the next twenty-four hours) to drive it into the pass. It is going to take every idea we can muster, plus a whole lot of physical labor, to keep the pass open this winter. Anyone who wants to give input & new ideas is welcome to contribute. I had a visit today from the Gopher Tortoise that I saved from drowning back on Day 169 (Halloween). Im glad to see he is still going strong!
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 10:04:13 +0000
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