Central Coast Council is working on the next phases of the 2020 Entrance dredging program, following initial works completed earlier in April under the advice and guidance of expert coastal engineers engaged by council.
About 5,000 cubic metres of sand have been removed from the eastern reaches of the channel and used to repair eroded banks on the southern side of the channel.
The works were also designed to discourage further outflow from the channel along the southern side and sustain the current flow of water through the northern channel for a longer period of time.
Central Coast Mayor, Lisa Matthews, said that during the February flood event, a lot of erosion occurred on the southern banks of the channel.
“Repair of this foreshore will improve the safety of the beach area and protect nearby infrastructure such as council’s lifeguard tower,” she said.
Council’s Unit Manager, Environmental Management, Luke Sulkowski, added that the work would help preserve the current exchange of water between the estuary and the ocean.
“Since the February 2020 flood event, Council staff have observed significant changes in the movement of sand at The Entrance, with the sandspit that separates the ocean from the estuary again beginning to grow in size,” he said.
“The Entrance Channel is a dynamic coastal environment and while the widening and narrowing of the channel is a natural process, these works are in part designed to try and sustain the current flow of water through the northern channel for a longer period of time.”
Technical surveys of the channel and surrounding beaches have been done and these include an underwater survey of the channel bed and an aerial survey of the sand spit and coastline, using drone and laser technology.