Coasts Case Study - Slapton Line Management Flashcards
What is the Slapton Line?
The fragile shingle bar which runs between Slapton Ley and the sea
Where is Slapton Sands?
Kingsbridge, South Devon, UK
Why is the shingle barrier under threat?
Erosion rates are increasing
Where are coastal management strategies installed around the area?
Slapton, Torcross and Beesands
How long is the shingle barrier?
7km
What defences are in place at Torcross?
A Sea wall
When was the sea wall at Torcross built?
1979
What happened to the Torcross sea wall in 2001?
It was partially destroyed by a storm and large amounts of sediment were washed away
What happened to the sea wall at Torcross in 2014?
The wall collapsed during a storm and the beach was built up again in order to protect it
What happened to the Slapton Line after the 2014 storm?
The worst affected section of the road was realigned
What length of the road was realigned in 2014?
200m
How much shingle was transported from the Strete Gate area to Slapton?
12,000 tonnes
What was created on the beach at Slapton for protection?
Shingle bastions
How effective were the shingle bastions?
Only for the short term, as up to 45% was washed away in a storm in 2008
What defences are in place at Beesands?
A sea wall and rock armour
When was the rock armour put in place at Beesands?
2016
What is the Start Bay coastline?
A sediment sub-cell on the southern coast of England.
What are the most heavily managed areas?
Torcross and Beesands, both have sea walls protected by rock armour
What was built in 2014 on Slapton Sands?
5 shingle bastions to try and reduce LSD and erosion, however they were soon eroded.
How many tonnes on shingle was moved to Torcross from Strete in 2015?
250,000 tonnes. However this was all washed away over night in one winter storm
When has managed realignment of the road been occurring since and how many occasions and places of the road?
Since 2001 and the road has been moved inland in 2 places on 2 separate occasions. This is not a long-term, sustainable solution to the issues.
Where are the high value areas of Start Bay and how was this decided?
Only Torcross and Beesands are protected as they are the highest value areas.
-This was decided with by a cost-benefit analysis.
What is making future management of the area complicated?
The natural processes and climate change.
What is the Slapton Line Partnership?
A group taking a SMP approach and considering the view of many stakeholders. They consider the future of the area because of the events and provide support to the community.
When and why was the Slapton Line Partnership created?
In 2001 in response to storms which closed part of the coast road and partially destroyed the sea wall and washing away lots of sediment.
Who did the partnership bring together?
Devon County Council, South Hams District Council, Natural England and the Environmental Agency.
In 25-50 years what will happen to the road?
No matter what is done, it will be breaches and it could be sooner. This is due to coastal erosion and strong storms which happen regularly.
Where is erosion via hydraulic power, wave quarrying, solution and abrasion most obvious?
The southern (windward) side of Start point.
