Plea to help Save the Dunes of Kom

An info graphic urging Kom residents and visitors to stay off our dune systems has been released by the Coastal Management Branch of the Environmental Management Department of the City of Cape Town.

Cath Schutte, Senior Professional Officer for Coastal Management, sent KRRA the infographic below to urge the public assist in the replenishment of the sand. She urged residents and visitors to stay away from the dunes to allow them to re-establish themselves after last year's savage winter storms that did a lot of damage.

When large winter storms hit Cape Town, Kommetjie is one of the first west-facing areas to be struck. When the low pressure system driving the storm comes close to the coast, the air pressure drops, resulting in a rise in the ocean in the centre of the storm and for some distance around it.

This can result in up to a metre added to the height of a big high tide. When you add a giant stormsea running over the top of this already elevated ocean, you get dangerous surges that wash up the beach - and the reason you'll find deposits of kelp way higher up the beach than normal.

Last winter, these surges ate into the dunes at Long Beach. This caused a series of incremental damage as the ocean dug into the beach further up during each high tide during several storms. Heavy rain can also cause issues, with runoff from storm water drains and flooding also degrading the dunes.

The city aims to reinstate the dune protection fence after the winter. Coastal Management will monitor the dunes this winter, which are in a vulnerable position for more erosion.

Patrick Dowling of the KRRA said that the the sooner the dunes were allowed to rebuild themselves the better for everyone, especially those with houses along the coastal fringe.