7.6 The Tweed River Entrance Sand

1. The Sandbars were forming across the river mouth from sand being transported from the beach into the river mouh and this is why it was essential to extend the Tweed River breakwaters.
2. The construction of the breakwater have on the replenishment of sand to the Gold Coast beaches after a severe storm would not be that bad as the sand would not be transported all that far at all..
3. The Tweed River became dangerous place for shipping due to huge sand bars forming across the river mouth and making it unsafe otherwise ships would become grounded on the sand bar.
4. It was only a short-term solution as it was very expensive to dredge and ship so much sand around. This is wahy this only lasted a couple of years.
5. The TRESBP replaces longshore drift. Sand is pumped from where it accumulates and on the southern side of the Tweed River via a system of pipes, across the Tweed River to one of four outlets where sand is released onto the beach.
6. The Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project is regared as one of the most successful coastal management schemes in Australia. This is beacause the planning, construction and effects of the TRESBP was so well thought out and that so much research was done into the project such as reffering to coastal managers, council authorities, geographers, etc. I think it is excellent and now humans can control the coastal area and river mouth at Tweed Heads. This allows for their not to be too much disruption to the beach and surounding areas and will not be forever changing like it was before the project. It allows for a long term solution and now that it is complete it will benefit most of the community/society.
7. The changes occured at the mouth of the Tweed River since 1962 have been very dramatic. The most prominent thing that has changed is the beach becoming larger with larger amounts of sand being placed on the beach. Over time the sand has not been transported away from the beach into the river but instead now is all being retained within the beach being held by the breakwater.
8. The breakwater length in 1962 would of been about 40 metres long but in 1994 it has been extended to about the length of 300 metres.