CAPE TOWN – Residents can expect to see the City of Cape Town commence with its annual beach lowering programme in Fish Hoek, Muizenberg and Bikini Beach from tomorrow (1 October).
This re-profiling or beach lowering is important in maintaining highly altered coastal systems along the False Bay coastline.
This will assist in mitigating and managing windblown sand from impacting adjacent infrastructure during the windy summer season.
“The City uses manual and mechanical measures to undertake beach levelling by pushing the sand from the beach to the low water mark. Wave action then transports the sand back into the coastal system. By lowering the beach sand levels, we ensure greater areas of the beach become wet during high tides. In doing so, we limit the potential for windblown sand to blanket or smother adjacent roads and infrastructure during summer when Cape Town experiences high southeasterly winds.
“We are aiming to complete the work ahead of the festive season. I want to ask beachgoers to keep a safe distance from the work areas and to also keep their pets on a leash,” said the City’s Deputy Mayor and mayco member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews.
The beach lowering will take place as follows: Fish Hoek beach: From Jager’s Walk (in front of the Galley Restaurant) to the lifesaving building.
Muizenberg beach: From Zandvlei River mouth to the wheelchair access ramp.
Bikini Beach: The entire length of the beach. Work will commence tomorrow until mid-November, if all goes as planned.
The City says that beach lowering has no measurable impact on the environment and has been done as standard practise prior to summer for decades.
According to the City, beach lowering mimics a natural scour event which is common on our shorelines, and puts the sand back into the sea where it returns to circulation within the oceanic system.
The beaches will remain open to the public, however, visitors are advised to keep a safe distance from the machinery at all times.
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