Replenished beaches...Good??

[Murph]

Went to a beach I don't normally go to and found that they had pumped up tons of sand on it. The water here use to but right up to the condo line and now there is a good 100 yards of beach between these condos and the water. They also stair stepped it. Beach now looks like two giant stairs going down to the water. I imagine our first tropical storm will take care of this.

Hunt was uneventful. Did find more large objects than usual. One large piece of what I think is solid copper. Also the usual beach goer coin drops. Have no idea when this replenish project was completed so others may have hunted out the spot before I got there.

Question is if these types of replenished beaches typically yield more/better/older items. There is always some sort of replenish project going on within driving distance from me. Should I make the drive?

 

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[John (Ma)]

I have only detected fresh water beaches, but when they replenish, I tend to find less, I think due to them getting the sand from the sand pit. But you never know what was in the pit. I have been picking up alot of bullets myself. I think their pulling the sand out of the pit, people have fired their guns into in the past.

 

[LadyDigger]

I guess there are pros and cons to replenished beaches, depends where they get the sand from. As for Va Beach, I believe they get it off the shoreline (around the Rudee Inlet area)...but not sure, but have seen the dreggers out there pumping out sand.

I noticed one beach I go to alot, that they had new sand up...last year, they didn't. At this beach, near the dunes at the bottom of where the beach houses are, I found a 1957 German Deustchmark. It was about 8 inches down...almost did not dig that signal...it was a sound I was not familiar with, but said "What the heck"...glad I did.

So I figure either someone who visited the beach dropped it or it was pumped in from off the shoreline, which makes sense, since there was a German POW Camp here in Virginia Beach (now Willis Wayside Furniture Store, use to be a TB Hospital, then a POW Camp. The original hdgtrs is the main bldg for the furniture store)..anyways...I would like to think it was pumped in with the new sand and that's the story I'm sticking with! LOL

As for the oceanfront (Va Beach)...they pump it in every year...I believe around March-April time frame, but not exactly sure...so I'm waiting for a good nor'easterner to come through and wipe away all that pumped in sand!!! Just finding your usual CLAD, but I must say, not finding as many pull tabs or beer bottle caps as I use too...but the foil is still abundant and those bottle linings that always give me a nickel reading (sometimes it's a nickel...sometimes not).

Happy Hunting,
Annmarie

PS: Here's a link I found regarding Virginia Beach replishment....as for this area, hope it answers some questions....
http://www.surfrider.org/stateofthebeach/05-sr/state.asp?zone=MA&state=va&cat=bf

 

[dahut]

The reponses hint at the answer, which is: Where do the sands come from?

If they are from offshore where there were shipwrecks, or boats sunk or other nautical flotsam, then you will find such junk as falls off vessels. Your copper chunk is likely just such an item - many things aboard ship are made of bronze and alloyed copper, since it doesnt rust. I know of one fellow who regularly finds copper sheet pieces, from an offshore vessel. It was used to sheathe the hull in bygone times.

Now, every beach is a combination of micro-environments, an amalgam if you will. There may be barren sand replenished here, but what about over there? How about at the entrances to the beach, or under the pier or other structures?

It could be that you will have to dissect your beach and learn a bit more about it, instead of condemning it outright. Most successful surf pirates know their beaches well and understand the changes and patterns on that beach.

UPDATE: This is one of those times where the old adage applies: "Every cloud has a silver lining." You can complain about it, or you can accept it and investigate what alternatives it might offer.
I cannot stress enough that you visit what is likely the best site for would be (and accomplished) surf pirates: www.thegoldenolde.com

 

[Sandman]

I couldn't have said it better Dahut!

 

[FISHEYE]

Replenished beaches....BAD

bad for us treasure hunters
bad for the creatures that live on the beach
bad for sea turtles

good for beachfront home or condo owners

 

[E59]

I don't like the replenished sand. I went to the ocean for the first time in 5 years with my detector only to find pulltabs and clad, and stabbed a hole in my toe with a piece of tin from the hurricane (on a different beach than the pretty one). Found out later it was a replenished beach. I think I'll go later in the summer instead of spring next time.

 

[billinstuart]

East coast Florida beaches are almost always "renourished" with material trucked in from distant sites. It is a worthless program, and virtually destroys the beach. The high energy surf zone is also negatively affected. The only things you may find are recent losses above the surf zone, and items that wash in at the high energy zone.