Photos: Marty Mitchell

Timeline

 

1898 -1916:

North (1908 -1916) and South (1898 -1902) Jetties constructed at Grays Bay inlet; sand accretes at North and South Beach; development on newly accreted land

 

1920s -1930s:

Currents flow over South Jetty as it wears down, jeopardizing sand near the jetties (the source of sand for the rest of South Beach)

 

1935 -1940:

South Jetty 1st Rehabilitation; accretion recovers near jetty only; erosion occurs north of jetty due to wave action and blocked sediment transport

 

1946:

Half Moon Bay begins to form, Pt. Chehalis takes shape

 

1950s:

South Beach accretion rates halt; erosion trend begins again as sand moves south

 

1966:

South Jetty 2nd Rehabilitation; erosion continues at Half Moon Bay, Westhaven State Park and northern South Beach

 

1987:

Erosion at South Beach close to jetty accelerates while sediment accumulates further south

 

1993:

Winter storm triggers South Jetty breach; cost = $8 million

 
1994:

Breach filled with 600,000 cu yd of material dredged from Grays Harbor and Chehalis River navigation channel; cost = $4 million

 

 

1999:

Heavy storms further damage the jetty

 

2000:

South Jetty raised

 

2002:

Site of 1993 breach renourished with fill

 

1994 -2003:

20,250,551 cu yd of dredged material deposited in Half Moon Bay, at the site of the 1993 breach, at South Beach, at Point Chehalis and at South Jetty

 

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