The City of Cape Town’s Coastal Management Branch commenced its annual beach lowering works at Fish Hoek Beach on Wednesday (6 September), a programme set to proceed in Gordon’s Bay and Bikini Beach after.
Beach lowering or re-profiling is important in maintaining ecological stability in highly altered coastal systems, specifically as it relates to mitigating and managing windblown sand. This work is also important to ensure recreational users continue to enjoy the coastal environment, and that infrastructure remains free of sand as far as possible.
“Work is to commence in Fish Hoek today (Wednesday), and if all goes as planned all of the beaches should have been lowered by the end of November, when the team completes the project at Bikini Beach,” said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
“The team aims to have all these beaches lowered ahead of the festive season. These beaches will be mechanically lowered prior to the summer wind season to reduce windblown sand problems, and we plan to do this annually. Lowering of beach levels takes place annually and enables greater areas of the beach to be wet during high tides, therefore limiting the potential for wind-blown sand to inundate adjacent roads and infrastructure.”
At Gordon’s Bay, the beach area to be lowered stretches from the Spur restaurant to the end of the parking area in the north. This while at Bikini Beach the entire length of the beach will be lowered.
Although beach access is not restricted during the work, users are advised to keep a safe distance from the machinery while on the beach.
