Rising coastal waters and our Kingsburg peninsula
These photos show the Sand Dollar Salt Marsh under water, due to a higher than normal tide (influenced by a full moon and north-east winds) during the Fall of 2004. This is not an abnormal event, and with rising coastal waters this type of flooding will only increase in frequency and impact. The photos were taken before high tide was achieved, but please note that the water has already reached the road-base of highway 332. We believe that such flooding makes the land in question "geologically hazardous."
An area is geologically hazardous if it is prone to geologic conditions capable of causing damage or loss of property and life. Examples of hazards include:
- avalanches (snow or rock)
- earthquakes
- forest fires
- ice jams
- landslides
- mudflows
- rock falls
- flooding
- volcanic eruptions
- geyser deposits
- ground settlement
- sand dune migration
- shoreline and wave erosion
- thermal springs
The ill effects of these hazards are made worse when people develop an area without consideration of known and anticipated problems. The United States is currently facing such a decision-making nightmare as it considers whether or not to rebuild New Orleans, knowing full well that future hurricanes could wipe out the taxpayer dollars sunk into reconstruction.
The issue of rising coastal waters raises the question, "Which parts of the coastline will be changed, by how much, and how soon?" In an effort to address this question, The Municipality of Lunenburg participated in a case study using a combination of air photos and software designed to analyze the pictures and predict future changes. The software is called the Coastal Decision Support System, and the results are available on-line as a dynamic map of District 3 of the Lunenburg Municipality, where one can study the predicted effects. Click here to see it yourself. To get started with the map once you are there, click on “select a location” (upper right corner), choose the factors or conditions (left hand side) and press the ‘refresh’ icon (on the top, right hand end).
According to this study, the complete Rose Bay Salt Marsh will be under water within 25 years!
For more information on the technology used to produce the predictions that the Sand Dollar area will be submerged in 25 years, please go to the Coastal Decision Support System homepage.
The prediction of rising coastal waters raises the important question of whether or not the Municipality of Lunenburg should be issuing building permits for such an area. Some people suggest that it is a “buyer beware” situation, in which it is the responsibility of the buyer to find out such information on his own, and, if he wants to build, he has the right to throw away his own money. But the world doesn’t work this way anymore. Courts in BC and NB have found that governments can be held financially liable if they issue building permits for land known to be geologically hazardous.
Does the average taxpayer think it is OK for his property taxes to go up in order to pay damage claims that arise because a building permit was issued for an area known to be geologically hazardous?
The Municipality of Lunenburg was first asked to create “Geological Hazard” bylaws in the winter of 2004/2005. To find out what progress the municipality has made, how it plans to address the problem of rising coastal waters, and when it might stop issuing building permits for such areas, please contact our local councillor, Don Zwicker:
Donald Zwicker Councillor, District 3, Municipality of the District of Lunenburg 902.766.4016