Coastal protection

Many parts of the coast are exposed to several impacts of environmental powers like seawaves, wind, frost and rain which lead to a natural erosion. Man came to a range of methods to at least inhibit or retard this process. Groynes, breakwaters, sanddunes with plantings, coastal protection forests, dams and dikes are elements of such coastal protection measures.

Groynes are to break the power of the waves to prevent them from getting too far aland and hit the coast too hard. Thus the erosion of steep coasts (which is a high area formed by different soil layers) and sandy beaches due to undertow is limited.

Dunes protect the hinterland of the coast when there are storm surges and keep the sand from being blown away by storms and onshore winds. The beach grass plantings help to solidify the dunes and to "catch" the sand. The roots go two to three meters down and give the sandy ground structure, moisture regulation and good grip.

Coastal protection forests complete the protection of the coastal grounds against "attacks" of wind, water, cold (frost damage) and sun (desiccation).

Coastal protection has been done in the Baltic Sea area since late 18th century. So we know that already then dunes were built where we have today the National park "Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft". In 1848 brushwood groynes were set up and weighed down by stones. Later people rammed the first pile groynes and systematically created dunes planted with beach grass all along the coast line. Around 1900 coastal protection forests were planted between dune and dike – birches, beeches, alders and pines were used.

Stormfloods occured again and again all over the Baltic coast devastating the land and taking human lives. In November 1872 und February 1874 the village Damerow on the Isle of Usedom was completely destroyed by the floods. The inhabitants who had built up their village again and again through the centuries left the ruins of their houses by then and moved capitulating before the powers of nature with the rest of their belongings to Koserow and hamlets in the neighbourhood. Damerow, the place where the boy guarded sheep in the Vineta tale, did not exist any longer. On New Year`s Eve 1904 a stormflood even tore the island apart at this place and the waters of the sea flooded into the Achterwasser behind.

Coastal protection needs regular maintenance:
Dunes must be filled up from time to time with dregded sand because the sand is constantly carried away by the wind. Unfortunately the wooden groynes are eaten up by the shipworm (Teredo navalis) which was brought here by the flood of 1995. Groynes of steel are no alternative shown by a try in 1935 because the steel was damaged within only a few years by cutting sand and ice which made this idea rather dangerous than beneficial. The best choice today is tropical wood from ecologically certified plantations (not from rainforest!). It cannot be penetrated by the mussels due to its hardness.

While groynes and dunes are not to be entered to prevent them from damages, the fixed tops of the dikes are wonderful hiking trails and bike paths.

 
How to behave in coastal areas
The Staatliche Amt für Umwelt und Natur (governmental board of environment and nature) recommends to follow its rules in terms of coastal protection:

• "Sandcastles" and wild trails on dunes and dikes become the weakest points when it comes to a flood. Please use the marked beach accesses only.
• Leave the beach tidy.
• Do not damage the plantings on dunes and dikes and in the beach protection forest.
• Do not smoke in the coast protection forests. Do not turn on open fires.
• Help to protect sandy slopes from sliding down. Do not climb in them.
• Do not enter or damage coast protection devices like groynes, stone walls, ripraps and their covers.
• Please respect the protection- and safety devices as well as the given directions and the prohibiting signs in coastal protection areas, nature reserves and national parks.

Because "ignorance is no excuse" (fines), everybody should pay attention to these rules and respect them.

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