[ISL] "Erosion could cause Gibraltar Point to split in two, says Toronto conservation authority"
The Toronto Star's Dan Taekema notes how substantial erosion might end up splitting the Toronto Islands' Gibraltar Point.
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is betting on a breakwater to stop one of the city’s most popular summer destinations from washing away.
The Toronto Islands have long been victim to erosion caused by waves and winter storms, but in recent years the problem has gotten worse - stabilization of the Scarborough Bluffs and the creation of the Leslie Street Spit have limited the amount of sand and soil carried by the current to feed the island.
“We essentially started to starve the islands of a source of sediment to sustain itself,” said Ethan Griesbach, a project manager with the TRCA.
According to a report from the conservation authority titled the “Gibraltar Point Erosion Control Project,” erosion on the islands has been documented in the area since 1879.
Significant storm damage in the ’70s led to several possible solutions, but only short-term attempts to solidify the shoreline were used.
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is betting on a breakwater to stop one of the city’s most popular summer destinations from washing away.
The Toronto Islands have long been victim to erosion caused by waves and winter storms, but in recent years the problem has gotten worse - stabilization of the Scarborough Bluffs and the creation of the Leslie Street Spit have limited the amount of sand and soil carried by the current to feed the island.
“We essentially started to starve the islands of a source of sediment to sustain itself,” said Ethan Griesbach, a project manager with the TRCA.
According to a report from the conservation authority titled the “Gibraltar Point Erosion Control Project,” erosion on the islands has been documented in the area since 1879.
Significant storm damage in the ’70s led to several possible solutions, but only short-term attempts to solidify the shoreline were used.