Posted on April 8, 2024
Trucks are in the sand at Narragansett Town Beach to repair the dunes damaged by recent storms.
Crews are adding more than 1,500 tons to the dunes.
Waves, wind and rain from the last few storms have eroded away about 12 feet.
“The dunes are our first line of defense when it comes to our buildings again, our parking lots, etc. So, they’re very important not only to that particular situation but also the topography of the beach,” Director of Narragansett Parks and Recreation Michelle Kershaw said.
Kershaw said it’s the first time Narragansett has rebuilt the dunes since Superstorm Sandy more than a decade ago.
“It tells me that sea levels are rising, storms are increasing. We’re losing a lot of the beach because of the storms and erosion. It could be climate change as well. A lot of people talk about that factor. I’m not a scientist, but we know at some point about 100 years from now that there may not be this this part of the beach anymore,” Kershaw said.
The next part of the restoration project will happen in the middle of the month.
Volunteers will put in plants to help hold the sand. New fencing will also be installed.
Once the weather is better and the storms have passed, trucks will put down more that 780 tons of sand closer to the water, up from past years.
“Each year we do examine the beach and the condition that it’s in. Sometimes we bring in sand sometimes we do not. But it’s more along the lines of maybe 150 to 200 cubic yards of sand.”
Other beaches in the Ocean State will likely be doing similar projects soon, with winter’s storms taking a toll on the coastline.
Kershaw said the price tag to make the repairs is around $127,000.
The town is hoping to be able to get funding from FEMA to help with the cost.
Waves, wind and rain from the last few storms have eroded away about 12 feet.
