$75,000 Of Plum Island Sand Washed Away
NEWBURYPORT (CBS) - Just days after tons of sand was dumped on Plum Island beaches, a heavy rain storm washed it all away, and with it, the $75,000 anti-erosion investment.
On November 2, 2,500 cubic yards of sand were dumped on the Newburyport side of Plum Island. On November 7, a lengthy rain storm took its toll.
"It's just one of those issues that's just sort of a constant fight against nature," said Newburyport planning director Andrew Port, "because nature is trying to move that beach back and forth and adjust where the sand is on its own."
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WBZ News Radio's Lana Jones reports
The latest round of erosion is now threatening two homes. The land around those homes is being shored up with hay bales.
"That's obviously just a temporary solution," Port said. "It doesn't address the long term issue of having more sand placed, or planting or something that might stabilize the area better."
The sand was paid for with a $50,000 state grant and $25,000 in matching local funds. It was separate from the big dredging project that shored up the Newbury side of Plum Island last month.
