Part of the annual maintenance works for Pevensey Bay Sea Defences is the recharge of shingle to the beach. This replaces material that is perpetually drifting eastwards and helps maintain the integrity of the Pevensey Bay frontage. This year is no exception and replenishment works are due to start in August 2001 and should last for approximately two weeks.
Shingle will be dredged from some 18km offshore and transported to the beach in the dredger, which will deposit it between targeted groynes. This will be done by a technique referred to as "rainbowing" when a shingle water mixture is pumped from the bow of the dredger and onto the beach. Often the mixture is thrown some 40 or 50m from the vessel, thus creating the "rainbow" effect. In this instance, because of the proximity of houses, the methodology will be changed so that the shingle travels no further than about 10m. The discharge will be into the water immediately in front of the beach crest. This stops flying stones from being a problem, minimises the erosion to the beach that run-off creates, and minimises sea bed disturbance by keeping material as high up the beach as possible.
The nature of the work means it has to be carried out as a continuous operation, day and night, seven days a week until it is finished. Shingle will be dredged at low tide, with the dredger arriving at the beach an hour before high tide. Discharge will take approximately 1-2 hours. An excavator, bulldozer and a dumptruck will be employed to retrieve the delivered material for about 4 hours either side of low water and place it in the desired location on the front of the beach crest.
Unfortunately, because the operation is tidal and weather dependent, any lost time can not be made up. The initial two deliveries will be placed close to Pevensey Bay Sailing Club so that the vessel discharge can be calibrated and checked. Work will then move to east end of Beachlands. Inevitably more material will be added to some groyne bays than others. The aim is to provide a similar width of beach to all properties, so that a consistent level of defence is provided for all.
Upon completion of the Beachlands work, the 'White Horses' area at The Crumbles will be targeted.