Douglas stinky beach

[Roger Mexico]

1 hour ago, Ativa said:

Whose house would you like them to move it next to at great expense to let it rot and stink there instead?

We thought yours.  You're always moaning about Nimbies, so we thought your back yard would suit as you couldn't possibly complain on principle.

[cheesypeas]

4 hours ago, Gladys said:

I didn't say it smelt of shit, just really bad. 

Actually, I just meant I couldn't smell anything. Bad turn of phrase. 

[Ativa]

5 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

We thought yours.  You're always moaning about Nimbies, so we thought your back yard would suit as you couldn't possibly complain on principle.

What a stupid post.  Nobody is going to want rotting seaweed deliberately dumped and causing a stink by their house.

For info there are a couple of potentially large developments/construction jobs within a couple of hundred yards of my house likely within the next three or four years.

I fully expect noise, dust and delays getting in and out of our road.

The end result will be worth it and possibly increase the value of our home.  I won’t be objecting to any of them and in fact have already written to planning expressing the need for the work to go ahead for the overall benefit of everyone.

If I had paid a premium to purchase a house right out in the sticks in an area with nothing zoned nearby and they suddenly out of the blue decided to stick a wind turbine or something next door I might object, but anywhere in town or in an area clearly zoned for development on the area plans then people have no right to moan as far as I am concerned.

[Amadeus]

11 hours ago, Ativa said:

Everyone knows isn’t sewage.

Its seaweed the same as it has been on some days for decades.  The difference now is DBC have let the beach become a state and interfere with the movement of the weed and so the problem is worse than I ever remember it.

Instead of posting crap about the lack of sewage which we all already knew, try accepting some responsibility for the seaweed issue which people have been predicting for years.

There’s no easy fix. There are already various plans and studies but you can’t easily change tidal flows. 

[ellanvannin2010]

15 minutes ago, Amadeus said:

There’s no easy fix. There are already various plans and studies but you can’t easily change tidal flows. 

Any idea what studies/modelling was done before the groynes were ripped out?.

 

[The Phantom]

25 minutes ago, Amadeus said:

There’s no easy fix. There are already various plans and studies but you can’t easily change tidal flows. 

Easily change tide flows?  I'd say it's damned near impossible and any changes or attempts to even re-direct it slightly would no doubt have significant unintended consequences.  But I'm sure that someone will charge £10000s to suggest this might be a viable option instead of scooping up some seaweed a couple of times a year. 

8 minutes ago, ellanvannin2010 said:

Any idea what studies/modelling was done before the groynes were ripped out?.

 

I understand world renowned hydrologist and oceanographer David Ashworth paddled up to his ankles and was able to provide some valuable input. 

[hissingsid]

The tidal flows were changed when the breakwater was built .

[The Phantom]

8 minutes ago, hissingsid said:

The tidal flows were changed when the breakwater was built .

*Slightly re-directed. And when they built the prom and the harbour and the groynes.  But none of it was on purpose, all issues arising from scouring, over topping and collection of seaweed are results of the above modification to the original natural shoreline.  

Before all of the above, the cliffs behind Strand Street and the Prom were the end of the beach.  This is likely where the seaweed would have collected or around the mouth of the river estuary. 

It's too dynamic an environment with millions of litres of water flowing north/south 4 times a day.  Changes cannot be accurately predicted. 

 

[The Phantom]

To give you an idea of the Tidal Streams the following is quite useful.  

https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/harbours/tides-and-flapgates/

From experience crossing Douglas Bay in a variety of water craft, it's the outgoing tide and current that is the strongest.  Whilst there is a general flow North to South, there is also a secondary gyre or circulating current that is basically all the water exiting the bay as the tide goes out.  Because of the shape of the bay, the river (and the harbour) this actually creates an Easterly current exiting the bay to the south.  I supported some swimmers crossing Douglas Bay who very nearly missed Port Skillion as their exit as they were being pushed easterly out to sea, even though they were also getting an assist heading south in the tidal stream.  

This is where flotsam, seaweed etc should also exit the bay or be deposited.  However due to the harbour and prom, there is no beach at hightide for stuff to wash up. 

 

[Amadeus]

I did suggest we dump the seaweed in Peel and bring their sand here on the way back, but apparently that’s not acceptable.
 

I have a few documents somewhere about this. I have a look what I can share. Any work / plans would go into the millions, though, as Phantom said. 

[Passing Time]

https://gajitz.com/brilliant-seaweed-recycling-plan-turns-waste-to-clean-fuel/

[Gladys]

33 minutes ago, Passing Time said:

https://gajitz.com/brilliant-seaweed-recycling-plan-turns-waste-to-clean-fuel/

Great idea, I wonder how much (and if it can do chewing gum too)? 

[Broadcasterman]

16 hours ago, Jarndyce said:

“Everyone knows it isn’t sewage”?

I didn’t say it was sewage I said it stinks like shit (which it does) 

[The Bastard]

2 hours ago, Amadeus said:

I did suggest we dump the seaweed in Peel and bring their sand here on the way back, but apparently that’s not acceptable.

More sand would be a good thing. Have you considered diverting some of the glass that supposedly goes into recycling programmes for road aggregate usage ?

There are various programs all over the world that convert waste glass into sand for coastal restoration. You can see the contribution of waste scallop shell sand on Fenella beach and Peel beach. Wouldn't it be viable to divert another waste resource towards improving Douglas ?

 

[Omobono]

5 hours ago, ellanvannin2010 said:

Any idea what studies/modelling was done before the groynes were ripped out?.

 

there have been groynes on Douglas beach for over 100 years , and indeed  its nearly 40 years since the breakwater was built , historically the groynes  did prevent scouring of the beach and worked very well even after the completion of the breakwater , unless they are replaced  there will be huge amounts of sand and shingle building up on the foreshore   in particular  on central promenade where the height of the shingle  is higher now then the promenade walkway , we have been fortunate there have been no periods of north easterly gales  ,otherwise the lot would be washed up onto the roadway  ,,all the tractor does is drag the sand and seaweed back down the beach in a futile attempt to stop the continual build up  , it would be interesting to find out how much this is costing ,a couple of years of tractor would probably pay for the Groynes to be replaced , so there would be a significant  cost saving