Misinformation About the Recent Narragansett Town Beach Study
A team of scientists and engineers from Taylor Engineering has completed a comprehensive study of Narragansett Town Beach (NTB). Parameters of the study included analyses of all available data related to the beach from previous research. The researchers studied the beach morphology; sand erosion, accretion, volume changes over time, and transport; water usage; dune health and restoration needs; dune plants, including the identification of invasive species; mean high water shoreline changes; and sea level rise impacts. The study also included surveys of the public and beach employees along with analyses of beach usage, beach revenue and facilities, parking in and near the beach, and safety issues. The research team determined current total recreational space and how it will change over time. They analyzed how beachgoers are contributing to the Town’s tourism economy. In short, over 26 parameters were studied by the Taylor Engineering team. The final report is available on the Narragansett Town website. The report’s data and analyses will assist the Town in the years to come in making decisions about beach operations and management.
(https://narragansettri.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18142/Narragansett-Report_Final_20240619)
Unfortunately, there has been a good deal of negative misinformation posted on local social media about the study. Commenters have claimed that the study was a “waste of taxpayer dollars” because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could have done it for free. They have also said that the study was needless because the beach is never overcrowded. These assertions are inaccurate and misleading. The study did examine the social carrying capacity of the beach, which includes the perception of overcrowding, as one of its 26 parameters, because overcrowding has been one of the top issues identified in the Town’s annual beach surveys for over a decade. It is important for the Town to have a better understanding of beach usage, especially as the beach continues to shrink due to sea level rise.
The Army Corps of Engineers would NOT have done this study for free or otherwise. They do conduct local projects and have several going on in RI, mainly focused on ecosystem restoration of freshwater resources and environmental assessments of infrastructure, such as the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. Of the parameters covered by the Taylor Engineering study, the one for which the Town could seek Army Corps assistance would be planning for beach replenishment, however, the Town would have to wait behind a list of existing and waiting projects for that help, and it could be years before it was available. This information was obtained directly from the New England Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In short, it is incorrect to state that the Army Corps could have carried out the beach study for free. The Town of Narragansett simply could not have obtained an equivalent study from them.
Another false statement that has repeatedly appeared in social media posts is that the Town wasted taxpayer dollars on this study. The funds from the study were provided by the NTB enterprise fund, which is supported solely by beach fee revenue, not taxpayer dollars.
One author of the misinformation about the beach study has even gone to Town Council meetings to chide the Council for listening to experts and the Town’s Recreation Advisory Board, who recommended that the study be conducted. He has claimed that the Council should have listened to him instead, despite that he has no scientific expertise to offer. The negative comments about the study have come from people who do not have the qualifications or expertise to advise the Town on matters of beach sustainability, management, or operations. A graduate degree in Education or an undergraduate research experience of 30+ years ago does not make an individual a scientist or an engineer with the expertise required to determine and conduct the research needed to support beach sustainability or advise the Town. Taylor Engineering has a team with this expertise and experience. They have successfully conducted similar studies along the East and Gulf Coasts.
The quality of the Taylor Engineering study speaks for itself. The data is extensive and will help the Town for years to come.
A workshop will soon be held with the Town Council and Taylor Engineering scientists, who will brief the Council and answer questions about the study. It is unfortunate that misinformation about something that is so beneficial to the Town may have misled the public’s understanding of the study’s purpose and outcomes.
The Narragansett Town Council, the Parks and Recreation Department, and the Recreation Advisory Board are to be commended for their forward thinking in protecting the Town’s most valuable natural resource. Many thanks to them all!