ATE launches restoration of three beaches

The project has been in the pipeline for many months. Yesterday, Wednesday December 3, it was launched by the Agence territoriale de l'environnement. It involves the restoration of three of the island's beaches, at Colombier, Flamands and Saline. The project will take place over several months, in alternating phases, starting with work at Colombier.
For the latter, the work involves revegetating the top of the beach with native species. Coastal vegetation encourages sediment accumulation, thus reconstituting a stock at the top of the beach," explains ATE. The roots help strengthen the cohesion of the sand, while the aerial parts dissipate wind energy. The vegetation also helps to stabilize the slopes, particularly in the case of the leaning beach encountered at Colombier. Reconstituting a large-scale vegetated area addresses the problem of the desertification of environments responsible for gullying phenomena. The deposition of sediment by this type of phenomenon weakens the health of the Colombier seagrass beds. "
The objectives of such an operation are threefold: to limit coastal erosion and gullying, to limit desertification and to enhance the aesthetics and natural appearance of the beach.
At Flamands and Saline, revegetation will continue, as will the installation of ganivelles and wind nets to trap sand. The aim is to reinforce the dune, which acts as a sedimentary safety stock for the beach. In Saline, dune reinforcement work was carried out after Irma. "The aim now is to make them permanent and complete the scheme," explains ATE.
These operations are in line with the scientific work carried out to observe and analyze changes in the coastline of Saint-Barthélemy. The project to restore the Colombier, Flamands and Saline beaches is scheduled to last until 2029.