Wednesday, February 28, 2007

1992 Texas GLO Dune Study


This an old tear sheet from one of my early articles for the Flour Bluff Sun when I was a reporter there.
This is about a GLO (General Land Office) study done by the State of Texas and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Back then those agencies actually cared about their missions!
This study demonstrated what was known already in scientific and geological circles, namely that the health of the dune system on our barrier islands is directly connected with the health of our beaches and off-shore sandbars.
It clearly shows that any development in or near the sand dunes will have an adverse effect on beach replenishment and erosion of the islands themselves.
This long ignored study is even more relevant today with the increased pressure from developers and their politician buddies to allow more and more Padre and Mustang Island development and the controversy about the development line in Nueces County being placed at 350 feet from the dune line.
Click on the picture for a larger image in order to read the tear sheet. (Note: If you read this you will find sections of the article are missing! That was done in the layout of the story and it is lost forever! You will just have to overlook that and make do with what remains! I'm sorry for this but there is nothing to be done at this late date!)
Below is a link to a local surfer's page with lots of good beach stuff!