Tony Brown, of Horse Lane, Shaldon, writes:

The storm on Thursday, November 13, caused considerable disruption inside the normally sheltered harbour of Teignmouth and Shaldon, partly due to the wind direction, but other factors also seem to have recently come into play.

It is useful to think of our sheltered waters as being the container part of a watering can and the narrow stretch between the Point and Shaldon as being the spout of the can.

In times of high tides or storms only so much water can travel down the spout, the remainder being held back by the the stone breakwater at the Point and the sands that cover it. This narrow entrance causes the tidal currents we all watch with respect at times of full ebb and flow.

If you substantially widen the spout the amount of water entering the container will be increased considerably. Scooping the sand from the stone breakwater end of the Point appears to have have done just that by materially widening the channel, introducing more water and creating new currents.

Thursday's storm seems to have dramatically demonstrated the likely consequences of this widening activity when a modest 4.1 metre tide created a surprisingly high level of water inside the harbour, with corresponding large waves and associated currents reaching as far as the bridge.

If the tide had been the five-metre ones we saw only last month, and came on top of the specific wind direction on Thursday, the consequences for inhabitants on both sides of the estuary and also for the moored boats could have been worrying.

I don't know which forum of experienced estuary users from Teignmouth and Shaldon (and there are many with practical experience) were consulted before the dredging works at the Point commenced, but perhaps it's time for a rethink.

For the protection of the inhabitants of both communities, their property and boats, sand is an essential soft defence generally on the beaches and also acts as a natural narrowing of the channel regulating water levels. In addition, the utility of sand as a flood defence is enhanced by the reality that tourists and locals alike want sand on the local beaches.

The dredging regime carried out by the port to facilitate larger vessels entering the docks seems to have disrupted the natural shifting of the sands, sending it outside the system. Widening the channel by excavating the Point appears to have caused other related problems.

I hope those involved in the estuary users' forum meet soon in order to consider the possible consequences of their recent actions and formulate a plan to utilise our sand reserves as effectively as possible, thereby meeting the diverse needs of inhabitants, tourists and the docks.  

Wooden breakwaters – although unfashionable – are often an effective and low cost means of sand retention and a useful soft flood defence and may be appropriate as part of an overall plan.

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