Destruction of Eastern Lake

[SHELLY]

I'm going to clobber the Popsickle Truck driver if he drives through my area just even ONCE more with the completely obnoxious song he plays - aggggghhh, it's even in my head as I type!!!!!!!

It's not "It's a Small World"...is it. :shock:


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[whiteyfunn]

It's not "It's a Small World"...is it. :shock:


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"Turkey in the Straw"

 

[futurebeachbum]

How about this one?

 

[scooterbug44]

I love it! I may have to break my no bumper sticker rule (was going to anyway for sowal).

To be fair, it's not 100% him, he's just already on my "special" list for a variety of infractions and is such an easy target!

 

[Smiling JOe]

How about this one?

Did you know that you can upload that image to CafePress.com and sell them, or buy one for yourself?

 

[TreeFrog]

I completely agree with the viewpoints regarding Worth Williams' claims. Walton County is one of the most extreme examples of individual claims trumping the priniciple of "greater good" that I've seen. If you haven't actually seen the property he wants to develop, you should trek over to the Eastern Lake access and look. It isn't "beach front", it's just "the beach".

On a more scientific note...

Somebody help me understand the decline in salinity at Eastern Lake. Since it and the rest of the dune lakes are fed by fresh water, it seems to me that the only way they get salt is from storms washing into them. Otherwise, the lake is either closed or flowing into the gulf.

Not to discount the effect of Mr. Williams' sand washing into the lake and choking the outlet, it seems to me that the salinity level would naturally rise and fall over an extended period, depending on when the most recent storm hit it.

 

[TreeFrog]

I'm surprised nobody else has said this, so I will...


Special thanks to the Walton Sun for publishing the article on Eastern Lake last Saturday. More to come, I'd hope.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Somebody help me understand the decline in salinity at Eastern Lake. Since it and the rest of the dune lakes are fed by fresh water, it seems to me that the only way they get salt is from storms washing into them. Otherwise, the lake is either closed or flowing into the gulf.

Not to discount the effect of Mr. Williams' sand washing into the lake and choking the outlet, it seems to me that the salinity level would naturally rise and fall over an extended period, depending on when the most recent storm hit it.

It sounds to me as though you have a great understanding of the salinity of the Coastal Dune Lakes. Worth's actions of bringing in huge amounts of sand to put on his lot bordering the outflow, just expedited and exagerated the blockage of the outflow. It is not likely that it would have happened naturally to the degree it did, if he had not brought in all of the additional sand.

The one thing that makes our Coastal Dune Lakes so rare is that they are fed by fresh water and they open to the Gulf on occasion. I think people probably notice the blockage of Eastern Lake more than the other Lakes, but there are other lakes in SoWal which haven't had the inflow from the Gulf since Hurr. Katrina. (We humans are very short term in our thoughts.) When we get the next big storm, Eastern Lake will likely get an inflow from the Gulf, and the outflow will break open again, on its own.

As TreeFrog says, Worth wants to develop a piece of the beach. We've heard of people building on the dunes. This particular property doesn't even have dunes, just flat sand, and I don't see how the regulatory agencies would allow him to build on it, but I'm sure that where there's a will, there's a way.

 

[scooterbug44]

On a more scientific note...

Somebody help me understand the decline in salinity at Eastern Lake. Since it and the rest of the dune lakes are fed by fresh water, it seems to me that the only way they get salt is from storms washing into them. Otherwise, the lake is either closed or flowing into the gulf.

Not to discount the effect of Mr. Williams' sand washing into the lake and choking the outlet, it seems to me that the salinity level would naturally rise and fall over an extended period, depending on when the most recent storm hit it.

The salinity level does vary as the lakes get salt water from the ocean, storms etc. Depending on the tides, you get salt water going into the lake or freshwater going into the ocean. I don't know the exact proportions, I'd guess that the lake/outfall is maybe 1/3 or less as salty as the ocean. (You can still taste the salt in the lake, but it makes a good rinse after being in the ocean.)

The lake normally opens and closes (for days, weeks, months ) with the outfall's location varying. Whether the outfall is open or closed isn't usually a big deal because it's all part of the natural cycle. The problem now is that the additional sand is preventing the lake from naturally regulating itself.

 

[Beachmom]

BTW, the last time Eastern Lake opened to the gulf, I just knew it was natural....not so. As I was talking to some people that were vacationing in a rental near the lake, they boasted about how they dug it open late that Sat. night and were riding the current from the lake to the ocean. :angry: