LOWMAN BEACH SEAWALL: Talk about it @ Morgan Junction Community Festival

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As first shown during a community meeting two weeks ago (WSB coverage here), those are the three alternatives the city is considering for the north shore of Lowman Beach Park, where the seawall is failing. This Saturday, you have another chance to find out more about the problem and the city’s proposed solutions, during the Morgan Junction Community Festival this Saturday at Morgan Junction Park (west side of California SW, half-block north of Fauntleroy Way). Organizers tell us that Seattle Parks‘ point person on the project, David Graves, will be at the festival around 12:30 pm-1:30 pm to talk with festivalgoers and hear their thoughts on the Lowman Beach possibilities. More background is on the park’s website.

P.S. As for the rest of the festival, which runs 10 am-5 pm Saturday, here’s the program – and we’ll have another preview with new info later today (Thursday).

John June 15, 2017 (11:22 am)

Wouldn’t it be wise to use this opportunity to simply remove the wall in its entirety? I continue to read articles about the damage seawalls do to migrating salmon fry. The seawalls prevent the natural plant growth needed for the fry to find shelter from larger pray.

Example…the downtown seawall. They knew we couldn’t remove that seawall, so the engineers designed a seawall to protect the salmon fry. For Lowman Beach we have the opportunity to simply remove it……………..

Chemist June 15, 2017 (2:33 pm)

The Lowman seawall is sort of “interconnected” with the seawalls of all the neighbors to the north, so removing it entirely would result in unstable, steep slopes near the water. The 2nd option appears to remove the main seawall while creating a smaller version to maintain the grade with neighbors to the north.

I’m not sure if the budget would allow for the parks department to compensate that neighbor for grading that compromises their boathouse/shed structure.
- WSB June 15, 2017 (2:42 pm)
  
  There is no budget. No funding currently for any of this, Parks says, so they would be seeking more grants (grant money paid for the early-stage design and feasibility study so far). As I think I mentioned in the previous story, there’s some money left over, and the neighbors were asking at the 5/31 meeting if they could do further studies to try to verify whether previous removal was indeed to blame for the changes they say they’ve noticed. – TR
Kersti Muul June 15, 2017 (3:13 pm)

Yes……..

Plus we now have a herring spawn to consider. Perhaps we need to discuss this with them. Waiting on DNA results as to the stock

Jethro Marx June 15, 2017 (1:43 pm)

If it is simply removed, beach drive will start detouring into the sound. It would be nice to have more natural shore, especially if that encouraged the near-shore seabed to redevelop its sediment movement in a way that helps flora and fauna. I’m no engineer, but I’m evolving into one, and I would try what works in nature: a log jam constructed of root balls, logs, soil and rock would allow water to filtrate, naturally compact, and look better, to my eye, than a concrete solution. Plus, it’d be cheap, and if it didn’t work, we could try the other way. We may even be able to save the tennis court! I’m still wondering where the beams salvaged from the demolition at the cso site ended up; I was promised they were going to be integrated into the new facility. The only lumber I see is some imported mongrel mahogany species topping the benches. That rammed earth is badass, though, and I think they did a real nice job on the design, overall.

Chuck June 16, 2017 (1:52 pm)

My vote is for restoring it as closely to a natural beach as is possible. Anything less is a complete cop-out, knowing what we do about salmon impacts due to artificial seawalls.

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