La Manzanilla message board

beach rocks Posted by Peter Prunuske on December 12, 2023, 8:24 pm Hello, Has there been any work to alleviate rocks fro beach? Specifically from the boat launching sites. Have the local fishermen been able to launch their boats? Peter

Re: beach rocks Posted by Steve N on December 13, 2023, 7:16 am, in reply to "beach rocks" There are different trains of thought on this subject. Here are mine, shared by a few others as well. Keep in mind, I am well aware I am a guest in this country, and I have absolutely no say in what local contractors do. I speak from 40 years of earth moving experience. 30 plus golf courses at high end resorts, 8 of which are in Mexico. Most of which were beach front. Taking heavy equipment on a beach for any excavation is highly frowned upon worldwide. Nature has been taking care of our beach for thousands (millions?) of years. When I first arrived in La Manzanilla in '92, our beach was immense. It even rose to a crown 20 meters in front of existing buildings. Since moving here permanently in '19 I have been shocked to see equipment heading out every year to work at removing the rocks that wash up every single rainy season. Years past, the ocean took care of it, leaving a beautiful wide expanse of sand that we all fell in love with. In the past few years, our beach is shrinking. I don't think it was helped a few years ago when God only knows. how many thousands of cubic meters of sand was excavated from in front of town and used to build parking beside Quinta Valentina. BTW, all of which washed away the next rainy season. Yes, we were hit particularly hard By Lidia's storm surge. Myself and others watched as huge waves broke thru buildings and deposited sand on Maria Asuncion. I cringe every time I see a back hoe on the beach playing with the rocks. My personal opinion is, if that practice continues, we will not have a beach at all in the coming years. And then there is what is left of our arroyo. But that's another post in itself. Just my humble opinion. Others welcome.

Re: beach rocks Posted by Robbie Boyes on December 13, 2023, 8:44 am, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" Well stated Steve . Thanks for exposing this so respectfully. .

Re: beach rocks Posted by Will B on December 13, 2023, 3:13 pm, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" Thank you, Steve! 👏👏👏

Re: beach rocks Posted by Dhyana on December 14, 2023, 8:52 am, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" Steve, I am curious what you think would happen if nothing is done anymore regarding moving the rocks off the beach?

Re: beach rocks Posted by Steve N on December 14, 2023, 9:04 am, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" It may be too late after the years of messing with mother nature. But if the rocks had been left alone in the first place, we would still have the beautiful expansive beach we all remember. I have heard of some dredging done at the south end some years back. That could be responsible for some of the damage. Nature takes care of itself. The ebb and flow of the tides have always maintained our beach...until recent years. If we don't touch the rocks this year, perhaps the natural restoration process can begin. This season may be lost however. My opinion, based on my experience.

Re: beach rocks Posted by Peter prunuske on December 14, 2023, 10:05 am, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" I agree. No backhoes. I suggest that huge Volvo grader that sporadicly levels the roads. In half a day it could scrape all the rocks away, at least where the fishermen launch. What to do with those pesky rocks? I suggest piling them in from of all those monstrance mansions N of the crocs. Poetic justice and all.

Re: beach rocks Posted by Bill H on December 14, 2023, 4:40 pm, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" Little bit of a chicken and egg situation. If the first tractor ever on the beach was there to clear rocks. How did the first rocks get there? A case could perhaps be made that the rocks predate the equipment that was summoned to deal with the rocks. Some of the posters below you seem to have that annoying expat paternalistic tone of "saving" the local residents from themselves. "I am a long timer here, and I know better than the people who've been here for generations." Ugh. We all love a sandy beach. The town depends on people coming here to enjoy a sandy beach. The townsfolk need to keep their beach attractive to visitors, their income depends on it.

Re: beach rocks Posted by Stephanie on December 13, 2023, 10:34 am, in reply to "beach rocks" Great response Steve, thank you! Due to the over excavating in the arroyo there is a huge buildup of sand and small rocks where the boats normally launch…so few get out unless there is a high tide to answer your question Peter! If THEY would quit ¥{~^€>} with nature …nature would sort it all out..IMHP! And I can state that as I live on the arroyo and have watched the damage done over the past 5 years since THEY have been tinkering with their big toys!

Re: beach rocks Posted by david dagoli on December 13, 2023, 5:10 pm, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" There are rocks on the beach every year because of the storms that push rocks out from the arroyo. The storms have been steadily worsening in severity over the last 17 years that we have been here. This year was by far the worst for rocks that we have ever seen. The machine work in the arroyo probably loosened tonnes of rocks which then washed out to the beach when the very high storm surge from hurricane Lidia pushed ocean water up the arroyo and back down again- for hours on end. Cuastecomate, the next beach south of us (after Calechosa) had the same problem. They actually have 2 arroyos emptying into their much smaller beach. There were huge piles of rocks that came down the arroyos during Lidia, and covered the beach. Cuastecomate beach is now very accessible because the municipality and the beach businesses got together and cleaned the beach by burying the rocks on the beach and using the clean sand to cover. No material is removed from the beach, same as here. Go check it out- their beach looks great.

Re: beach rocks Posted by Steve N on December 13, 2023, 5:20 pm, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" Short term thinking. Not sustainable.

Re: beach rocks Posted by Devalinda on December 14, 2023, 6:57 am, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" Thank you Steve...many of us long timers can see exactly what you described..it has been hard watching the destruction of the arroyo and the beach...one can only hope that some of the younger gen. of locals might educate those in charge about what the eventual outcome is likely to be...it may be too late to mitigate the damage done. The bibbest problem is thay most people do not know (or understand) what you so clearly explained here.

Re: beach rocks Posted by Cruz G on December 14, 2023, 9:36 am, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" Hola, All. Have machines, will rock. Cruz

Re: beach rocks Posted by Steve N on December 14, 2023, 10:31 am, in reply to "beach rocks" There is a plethora of articles easily Googled explaining how the interference of mankind influences the impact of storms on a coastline. With that, I'm out. Namaste

Re: beach rocks Posted by Irving on December 14, 2023, 4:19 pm, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" Hi Steve N, first of all, I would like to thank. You for you honest opinion on the beach rocks that you published yesterday, personally, based on my experience that is the clearest explanation on how the nature works, although I'm the one translate it and published on LML, Hoping for the non speaking English people will read and understand what's going on, Unfortunately you post was deleted by your request. My apologies for not asking you before if it was ok to do so, on the other side, being already published, and not stating "not to share or translate on any other language" I didn't see any problem doing so, once is on the web practically becomes usable for anyone. Now being here living in LM, I get you are concerned on this beautiful place, I thought it may be on your best interest that everyone participates and understand the situation. Any how thanks for sharing your thoughts, the criticism wil come on any fronts whatsoever. Again thanks and namaste. PD. my apologies for the grammatically errors, I'm not a native English speaking , but I do my best.

Re: beach rocks Posted by Susan on December 14, 2023, 11:23 pm, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" I heard this story. There were big rocks at the arroyo that naturally kept the little rocks from moving towards the beaches. Some years ago the new Four Season's hotel took the big rocks from the arroyo to use as decor, creating this problem.

Re: beach rocks Posted by Monte Morgan on December 15, 2023, 4:54 am, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" This is so entertaining, I think that I should start writing my own rumors.

Re: beach rocks Posted by Stephanie on December 15, 2023, 5:36 am, in reply to "Re: beach rocks" Getting more and more bizarre every day Monte!

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