I’m sure you’ve noticed, but just in case you haven’t, the grass is back on Hoylake beach.
The growth of and battle with spartina grass on Hoylake beach is nothing new of course. I’ve featured it several times over the years on Hoylake Junction. Previous eradication efforts have included:
- chemical spraying in 1965 for example
- digging it up
- strimming it
- herbicide spraying (in 2012)
My understanding is that Wirral Council had a permit to use herbicide sprays on the grass as required until 2015. As that was obviously two years ago I wonder what the current plan is (if any)? I think the last time the grass was treated was five years ago in 2012?
Regular contributors Frank and John (John pictured above) have been having a laugh pretending to cut the beach grass with a Flymo (at least I hope they were pretending as electric and water don’t play nicely!). But they highlight the fact that the grass is certainly back.
Some believe the grass should be left to grow naturally, others think it can and should be managed.
So, does anyone know what, if any, are the current plans? Has there been a decision to leave it alone?
Please leave a comment below.
To the west of Kings Gap, the growth of grass has been promoted for the following reason. Last year, the council removed a large amount of sand that had accumulated against the sea wall and was blocking the outflow of the land drains. Instead of dumping it far enough away to be washed away by the tides, it was dumped a short distance away, where the tide only occasionally reaches.. The sand formed permanent mounds which were ideal for the growth of the grass..
The late Eric Hardy, a local naturalist , author and broadcaster, who expressed concern when the salt marsh at West Kirby was forming, believed that the only way to prevent the formation of the marsh was to dig it out to a depth of one metre. Clearly, this would be a very expensive option. It would appear that the council have decided to allow the marsh to develop.
(Local resident)
The grass needs spraying.!From observation,the visitors over the last few years to Hoylake beach and overall general use of the beach is on the increase. From the volleyball teams that now play weekly and the increase in families picnicking through the summer months. Has any one noticed the significant increase in hoarse riding along the beach which always looks stunning.. This must all support the local economy..
The outcome should be to control the grass and invest in making the seafront more attractive with better facilities and general maintenance.. Keep Hoylake beautiful!
I went to Southport a few weeks ago and couldn’t believe that the once amazing sandy beach had been allowed to turn into a vast forest of this horrible grass. Not surprisingly the area was completely empty of visitors. I hope Hoylake doesn’t end up the same. Our cash has instead been spent on other projects like golf resort/ housing estate.
The grass pictured is common saltmarsh grass rather than Spartina. The conditions are now too dry for Spartina to flourish on the upper beach. To see what happens if you leave matters to nature then take a stroll from Red Rocks southwards. Here you have a narrow strip of saltmarsh which is rapidly replaced by new sand dunes as the dune system moves seaward. It is an interesting and dynamic process with lots of ecological interest.
I would mourn the loss of a sandy beach but once tidal inundation becomes as infrequent as it is along this stretch of beach, colonisation by salt marsh species and later by dune grasses is inevitable.
The big challenge is firstly to understand the natural processes and the options available. Only then can thought be given to what interventions, if any, are desirable and sustainable to get the best outcomes for people and the environment. It is hard to see how the status quo can be maintained on the upper shore given the massive build up of sediment over the last century and the consequent less frequent immersion in seawater.
Some years ago I believe a guy by the name of Canute tried to “do something about” tides – but had to admit defeat! I’m inclined to agree with Peter Wilson on this one – the effects of changing tidal conditions and the formation of dunes are complex and dynamic natural processes. Some places are affected by coastal erosion; others see formation of sand spits, dunes and marshes; once navigable rivers and harbours may become silted up. There seems to be little that we mere humans can do to control these natural processes. In his 1955 book, “The Wirral Peninsula”, the late Norman Ellison mentioned glasswort that was growing on the foreshore between West Kirby and Hoylake. He said, “Council workmen were digging up each individual tuft and carting it away, but the silt and the vegetation it encourages will win in the end.”
I’d take my petrol mower or bush cutter down but I suspect it wouldn’t actually help!
This is an ongoing problem which needs a permanent solution.
Surely not beyond the councils ability or do they not care.
Dale
Both areas need strategy to remove and manage – If it is beyond council budgets or ability to protect one of the areas most valuable tourist assets – beautiful sandy beaches- then residents should look towards alternative funding – There should be a ‘steering group’ set up of locals – Various methods and financial quotes towards the removal should be sourced and then this costs could hopefully be raised through a local ‘crowd funding’ campaign – A motorway scraper tractor could potentialy have both sites up and away within a couple of days.
That sounds like a good idea.
Dale
Thanks – Interested to see the updates from today – spraying is treating symptoms not the cause- needs removing.
This morning at 07.30 (August 16th), two tractors were once again spraying the “marsh”. One was blanket spraying and the other was dealing with the individual clumps further out. To the west of Kings Gap, the beach is very uneven for reasons that I stated in an earlier post, If the council are serious about preventing the formation of a saltmarsh meadow, they must deal with what is below the surface and even if the weed killer is systemic, the only permanent and ultimately cheaper solution is to dig it all out. At the moment they are just delaying the inevitable.
A group of interested parties met last week to discuss the issue and a group named
Friends of Hoylake and West Kirby Beaches has been formed.
We will be holding a wider meeting soon when we see the results of today’s spraying.
We will keep everyone informed.
how do others join?
We will set up a meeting in September when we see the initial results of this spraying.
Research is being done at the present time by two of the group.
Everyone who supports our effort will be able to join us.
Thanks for the uodate and please let me know of planned meetings.
I walked out along the edge of the west kirby growth this morning and i certainly feel things are at a critical tipping point before the beach is lost forevever.
Beach management is a complex issue that needs better research and data before long term management can be properly informed as was made clear in a 2000 report “THE BEACHES AT WEST KIRBY AND HOYLAKE: Options for Managing Wind Blown Sand and Habitat Change” whose Executive Summary stated the following:-
As beaches get higher and the coast becomes more sheltered from wave action there will be a natural succession of habitats including the formation of salt marshes and sand hills… the existing approach to managing rising beach levels and the wind blown sand problem is not sustainable in the long-term. Continuing with the existing reactive management measures on its own is not a realistic option because the wind blown sand problem is going to get worse. Costs will continual to spiral upwards and the number of complaints received by the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral (MBW) from residents and visitors will also increase. The wind blown sand issue is not the result of coast defence works by MBW but crucially is connected with the geomorphological evolution of Liverpool Bay and the Dee Estuary since the last glaciation.
i live in meols and i dont want to see hoylake end up like southport but is weed killer the answer i heard last time they used it a few years back now that a number of dogs got ill from and what is the impact on sealife if exposed to weedkiller i no that i carnt use it near my pond in the garden because it may kill the fish so surly it can do the same to are salt water animal life fish , crabs , shell fish things local people may catch and eat themselfs the sand level have rised alot since the interduction of the sea defences i.e rocks placed along the coast line and i agree the wind plays a roll also the boats dredging the mersey and dee shiping lanes so the only real option for the council would be to dig the sand down to a lower level which would return hoylake back to how it used to be when the tide came upto the wall again it still does in meols on most tides and then the grass wouldent grow
Seen as tho hoylake beach has no attractions..nowhere to buy a glass of wine or an ice-cream ..no pier, no toilets, no donkeys, no sea and no excitement then I think it best to let nature run its course. At least you can have a barbacue in a sand dune.