EROSION AT ST. CLAIR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23865, 20 July 1939, Page 6

EROSION AT ST. CLAIR

TONS OF SAND SHIFTED EFFECT OF HEAVY GALES UNDERMINING AT PROMENADE For some considerable time the erosion along the s- front near St. has been a source of anxiety and the south-westerly gales of Ihe past week and the accompanying high seas have been responsible for the removal of literallv tons of sand from the beach in the St. Clair locality. Part of the sand removed, however, has drifted back further along the beach. Particularly heavy seas were experienced on Tuesday night the breakers eating into the sandhills for ar appreciable distance. In places where there were previously lupine clad sandhills backing up the beach there is now, a sheer drop of from 15ft to 20ft to the sand, the lupines, marram grass, a long stretch of brushwood fence and part of the sandhills having completely disappeared. Men have been engaged in pols rhiT the foot of the washed-out section with sandbags and with rebuilding temporary brushwood fences which it is hoped will retain 'i least part of the sand carried away. A considerable section of the popular St. Kilda-St. Clair i ack, commonly known as “Lovers’ Lane,’’ whicn runs along ;he top of the sandhills, has been undermined in places and will have to be reformed.

The St. Clair beach, once an attractive bathing place, is at the present time a dismal stretch of grey boulders, the rows of gaunt piles being more prominent than ever. Even the strong concrete wall shows some signs of its recent battering and has become slightly undermined in places, the concrete steps intended to give access to the beach ending some distance above this rock-strewn -aste.

Although the seas have moderated. there is still a strong southerly swell which, if anything, will only serve to make the position worse, as the sand is only carried onto the beach when offshor® winds are blowing. It is obvious that it will be a long time before the beach goes back to anything like its normal state and it would seem likely that further erosion could be prevented by a costly extension of the existing promenade.