Bluffs are eroding

[bran]

Everyone is getting into this discussion about the riverwalk/riverfront development, but there is one major aspect no one seems to have addressed. OUR BLUFFS ARE ERODING! In the past FEW years, several FEET of our white bluffs have "disappeared". Much more than "natural" erosion should be. This seems due to the increased amount of speed boats and heavier river traffic, I'm not sure. What can we do about this....does anyone have any suggestions?

[rob]

Concrete?

[dave]

Ban Pat Oliver from the river..

I haven't heard about a problem with disapearing bluffs. That's interesting. Is there a specific area that's eroding or all along the "arch street" area running from the landing to Botanical Gardens location?

[bran]

Along "Arch Street" it is very noticeable.

One easy way for everyone to realize how quickly it is eroding is to look at the concrete wall along the river esp. by City Landing. I know it was built probably in the 60's but look how far some of it is underwater. Also, even 10 years ago, we weren't missing any of the wall and now look how much is gone. It is scary and very worrisome that the city is trying to get grants for the riverfront development, but heck in 10-15 years it'll be underwater too if something preventative isn't done.

[Jeff]

This inlies a whole new problem.

The bluffs have been erroding, and at a pretty quick rate. Much of the concrete wall that has fallen has been a result of flooding eroding the soil under the fall, but the limerock has been getting pushed back as well.

Sadly, about the only thing you can do is put breakers in front of the wall. i.e. concrete blocks. This is good in terms of helping the errosion, but terrible for the scenery. It basically takes away the white bluffs, and puts in a wall of concrete.

Another possibillity is to make the section of the river that travels from the city landing to the old cemetary a "No Wake Zone". This could possibly help slow some of the errosion problems in the area, but would definitly piss off a few boaters out there.

I will try to dig farther into this subject, to see what options there are for slowing or preventing errosion.

[bran]

Thanks Jeff!