- Target:
- Jackson County Board of Supervisors
- Region:
- United States of America
Jackson County is planning to install concrete swales along Front Beach in Ocean Springs, MS at a cost of $1.9 million.
The concrete swales are designed to reduce beach erosion from rain events, but they do nothing to prevent erosion from wave action and storms. Further, they do nothing to reduce water pollution from storm-water run-off. According to reporting from MS DEQ, Front Beach was closed for 58 days in 2018 due to high levels of bacteria in the water. We are opposed to spending millions of dollars to add non-natural materials to the beach, especially since the concrete structures do not address one of our critical problems - pollutants entering the water.
Petition to Jackson County Board of Supervisors regarding management of Front Beach
To: Jackson County Board of Supervisors
We, the undersigned residents of Jackson County, are opposed to spending $1.9 million for the expansion of concrete swales on Front Beach, when other effective solutions are available. We request that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Work with residents and professionals knowledgeable in using natural features to develop a comprehensive management plan for Front Beach that addresses storm-water run-off, storm-related erosion, water quality, beach closures, aesthetics and habitat management.
2. Provide design alternatives to the concrete swales planned for Front Beach.
The concrete swales are designed to reduce beach erosion from rain events, but they do nothing to prevent erosion from wave action and storms. Further, they do nothing to reduce water pollution from storm-water run-off. According to reporting from MS DEQ, Front Beach was closed for 58 days in 2018 due to high levels of bacteria in the water. We are opposed to spending millions of dollars to add non-natural materials to the beach, especially since the concrete structures do not address one of our critical problems - pollutants entering the water. We are in favor of using more nature-based solutions such as engineered soils, beach re-nourishment, dunes, vegetation, and other evidence-based living shoreline techniques.
Finally, the pilot concrete swale has serious public safety, aesthetic, and maintenance concerns.
The Support Ocean Springs Front Beach petition to Jackson County Board of Supervisors was written by Julia Weaver and is in the category Environment at GoPetition.