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29 October 2014

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NATURE

You are in: Southampton > Nature > Walks > Netley Shoreline > Stage6

The coast path

Stage 6
Where's the coast going?!

When you reach the sign for the yacht club, rejoin the foreshore path and walk along in the direction of the park's main entrance.

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Here we see evidence that the coastline is dynamic and ever changing. Part of the sea wall has been closed off to the public as it is currently being undermined by the action of the sea. Over time, it can create huge caverns under the land immediately alongside the sea.

Hampshire County Council's current policy at the park is to try and hold the line in the short term. However The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs's (DEFRA) future policy on coastal defence is not to spend large amounts of money shoring up the miles of coastline when nature takes its inevitable course. This will mean that some low lying areas currently defended will be allowed to flood in the near future.

Sea water eroding the defences

Erosion of material contributes to the Solent's mudflats, sands and shingle beaches and spits (like Calshot Spit on the opposite side of Southampton Water) which have been formed over centuries since the end of the Ice Age. Material is transferred from one area to another by the sea - the coastal landscape is always changing every time the tide comes in and out.

Erosion may be a natural phenomena but there are other pressures on the natural environment around us. Between 1930 and 1980 55% of the intertidal area - that's mud, sandflats and saltmarsh - has been lost to development, infilling and dredging along the coast. 650 hectares are seriously damaged.

Pollution on the beach

The population of Southampton has risen to 205,000 - generating sewage and waste problems. Thousands of container ships pass up and down Southampton Water every year and the petro-chemical plant directly opposite you at Fawley is one of the biggest in Europe. And there are all the pleasure craft and yacht moorings - there are now 24 yacht marinas around the Solent.

All take their toll by adding to pollution, damaging wildlife habitats and changing the landscape - it poses a challenge to planners and the rest of us - how do we preserve the rich environment but also keep the area as a busy and thriving coastal area to enjoy?

When you reach the Pay and Display Sign, before the cricket pavilion, turn right.

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