FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 16, 2002
OLYMPIA - Summertime beachcombers may see an unusual-looking sand buggy driving along some of Washington's shorelines this summer - all part of a research project to better understand erosion trends along Washington's coastline.
The six-wheeled vehicle is the state Department of Ecology's "coastal clammer." The clammer (which stands for CoastaL All-terrain Morphology Monitoring and Erosion Research vehicle) measures the height of the beaches using global positioning technology to map the ebb and flow and rise and fall of shoreline areas.
During previous excursions of the clammer, some citizens have expressed concern that the buggy may harm clam beds, but the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's clam experts have assured Ecology scientists that it is safe.
The clammer provides valuable information so state and local authorities can make highly informed decisions about how to deal with erosion problems that are threatening coastal communities, according to Ecology's lead coastal engineer, George Kaminsky.
Kaminsky and a team of coastal scientists from Ecology and the U.S. Geological Survey recently completed a five-year study of Washington's southwest coast. The clammer was a key resource in the study and continues to be useful today.
Researchers drive the clammer during low tides, plotting global positions and beach height. In addition, similar data are collected by researchers backpacking on foot and by researchers driving wave runners at high tide through the surf zone. After dozens of trips up and down beaches, all of the data are combined to provide a rich source of trend information about whether the beach is growing or retreating.
Such research sheds new light on researchers' understanding of how sand moves along the coast, and how dredged sand can be placed strategically to slow or even stop erosion.
They will test this theory starting in July on Benson Beach at Fort Canby State Park near Long Beach. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will pump about 43,000 cubic yards of sand dredged from the mouth of the Columbia River directly onto Benson Beach over several days in July.
The clammer will be used to provide important information to see how well the test is working.
This page created and maintained by Chehalis River Council
Send comments or questions to the: Chehalis River Council