In the wave battered stretches of Washington’s south coast cities, erosion isn’t just an abstract concern. It’s a test of engineering and community resilience in a place being continually reshaped by the powerful Pacific Ocean.
In a recent segment of The Impact on TVW, Grays Harbor Marine Resources Committee Chair John Shaw explained that some communities exist at the mercy of natural cycles and marine infrastructure.
“You have erosion happening during king tide cycles. And so you may only have during the year six tide cycles that can do the damage, but those are enough. They basically can wash away roads, property, infrastructure, beaches,” said Shaw.
The city of Ocean Shores declared an erosion emergency earlier this year.
“Recently it has cut Damon Point off from the land,” said Shaw. “In that area in Ocean Shores, right behind Marine View Drive, are our city services, city water system. We actually have waves that are overtopping during King Tide events that can impact that infrastructure.”
Shaw warns that could limit the ability of Duck Lake to drain and increase the threat of flooding. Shifting sands below the surface also have big consequences for marine travel and trade in the region.
“In the last few years, we’ve seen a real degradation of the quality of the ship channel,” said Shaw.
In Westport, the area south of Ocean Avenue has been deteriorating rapidly within recent years, according to Shaw, with waves stripping away the beach at Lighthouse State Park and closing in on the nearby condominiums, Westport By The Sea. He said there was a positive breakthrough around 2019, led by the condominium owners.
“Then there was a change where that group developed a nature based dynamic revetment approach that is very heavily engineered. It was funded by the homeowners themselves, permitted by the city, state. And it’s become a model of the best performing project that we have on the coast right now,” said Shaw.
The most notorious stretch of vanishing shoreline in the region is found in North Cove. The place known as Washaway Beach was losing around 100 feet of beach each year, but has experienced a dramatic recovery since neighbors banded together to build a dynamic revetment rock line several years ago. The success spawned a larger state-local partnership which brought international recognition to the sleepy cranberry beach town.
Erosion mitigation projects frequently involve regulatory friction. A community’s intentions may not line up with the county policies or agency rules. Additionally, a fix in one county might not be allowed in the county next door.
“There were things that were allowed to be done in Pacific County, in erosion management, that aren’t allowed in Grays Harbor,” Shaw said.
“Virtually every quarter mile down the entire Washington coast is unique,” he said.
Many conceptual erosion fixes have been tested over the years. Most have failed.
“We have a whole collection of very, very large, heavy equipment tires that we document that are all over the South End, because a couple of times, that was the answer.” said Shaw. “We’re going to toss these giant heavy tires in, and that’s going to stop erosion. And to be honest, none of that is stopping anything.”
