7 best beaches of the world | Komando.com – Komando

For a relaxing vacation, it's hard to beat a sunny beach destination. What's better than sipping your favorite beverage while catching some rays?

The sand, the sun, clear blue ocean with a nice warm breeze...it's simply paradise!

Of course, there are hundreds of beaches where you can spend your vacation. But how do you know which ones will provide you with the breathtaking views that you are craving?

No worries, we've got you covered.

That's why we're going to share withyou seven of the best beaches in the world. Let's start with number seven and count down to number one.

This pristine beach located southwest of Puerto Ayora on the Galapagos Island of Santa Cruz is covered with soft and elegantsand. Tourists can fill their days byswimming, surfing or just relaxing in the beautiful sunshine.

You will also see plenty of friendly creatures. Iguanas, pelicans and sea lions are always found making their way up and down the shore.

Previous Tips

Next Tips

See the article here:

7 best beaches of the world | Komando.com - Komando

Treasure Coast Beaches: Where to stick your toes in the sand – TCPalm

Kathy Oristaglio, Special to YourNews Published 5:22 p.m. ET March 7, 2017 | Updated 14 hours ago

Brody Fritz, 8, of Dallas, Texas, gets a closer look at a baby sea turtle as it tries to crawl into the Atlantic Ocean at Waveland Beach in St. Lucie County on June 27, 2016.(Photo: MOLLY BARTELS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)Buy Photo

The adage says, Theres no such thing as a bad day at the beach. More apt for the Treasure Coast is, Theres no such thing as a bad beach.

The Treasure Coast has it all no matter what you seek when you seek the beach, from surfing to solitude, and from romance to rock-the-night.

Bikers and joggers can enjoy the 13.2-mile trail in St. Lucie County that runs from Fort Pierce Jetty Park to Waveland Beach in Jensen Beachalong State Road A1A.

In Indian River County, jump on the Historic Jungle Trail at Orchid Island or enjoy the bike trail along the A1A. Horseback riding is allowed with a permit on Frederick Douglass Beach, and dogs are welcome year-round at Walton Rocks Beach. Both beaches are located on Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County.

MOST FAMILY FRIENDLY

When kids are in tow, you want extra safety measures such as lifeguards and less chance of dangerous currents, as well as easy parking, showers and restrooms. A playground and picnic area are added bonuses at many of these parks.

Indian River County

St. Lucie County

Martin County

BEST SURFING

Professionals and Olympians train at Sebastian Inlet's First Peak, so competition can be fierce. Novices may wish to try other spots.

BEST METAL DETECTING/TREASURE HUNTING

Just offshore from Sebastian Inlet to south of Fort Pierce are the remains of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet. Pieces of Eight and other treasures wash up on shore from time to time.

BEST SOLITUDE

Its quite possible to be totally alone, even during season, at these beaches.

BEST ACTION

Walk to restaurants, nightlife

Sebastian Inlet State Park has several activities, including fishing, swimming, surfing and beaches.(Photo: PATRICK DOVE/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

Read or Share this story: http://www.tcpalm.com/story/specialty-publications/treasure-guide/2017/03/07/treasure-coast-beaches-where-stick-your-toes-sand/93639024/

More:

Treasure Coast Beaches: Where to stick your toes in the sand - TCPalm

California beaches start to reopen weeks after sewage spill in Mexico – Fox News

CORONADO, Calif. Sunday was the first day in several weeks that surfers, swimmers and kids wanting to play in the the wet sand had a green light to touch the Pacific Ocean in Coronado, but miles of beach south of there remained closed due to the huge sewage spill in Tijuana.

Beaches from Avenida Lunar, one block south of the Hotel del Coronado, north to the Navy Base were declared safe Saturday evening by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health. Testing confirmed that the water quality met state health standards.

But the beaches of Silver Strand, Imperial Beach and the border area remained off limits to water contact due to sewage flows from the Tijuana River.

TSUNAMI OF SEWAGE SPILLS AT MEXICAN BORDER DELIBERATE, SAYS CALIFORNIA MAYOR

The ocean shoreline from the International Border to the north end of Silver Strand at Avenida Lunar will remain closed until sampling confirms these areas are safe for water contact, the department said in a statement.

International water quality experts were blindsided last month, when a major sewage transmission line in Tijuana was closed for repairs and millions of gallons of raw sewage diverted to the Tijuana River, which flows into the United States at San Ysidro.

South Bay Clean Water Movement hosted an event Sunday called Letters at the Pier involving kids and adults writing dozens of letters afterU.S. officials estimate 143 million gallons of sewage spilled from Tijuanalast month.

Read more from FOX5SanDiego.com.

Read this article:

California beaches start to reopen weeks after sewage spill in Mexico - Fox News

Climate, friendly businesses make Delaware beaches a year-round … – USA TODAY

USA Today Network Ryan Marshall, The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal 7:18 p.m. ET March 6, 2017

The Rehoboth Beach boardwalk Monday, Feb. 20, 2017.(Photo: Staff photo by Megan Raymond)

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. It's 62degrees and the sun is shining bright. Parking spots are impossible to find onRehoboth Avenue or side streets.

Restaurants are slammed. Beachgoers crowdthe boardwalk benches, many lickingice cream cones.

And it's Feb. 20, Presidents Day.

Innovative business owners, a warming climate and an aggressive marketing plan arequickly making Delaware beaches a year-round destination.

I cant believe how much more popular its become in the (past) five years, said Peter Devlin, a school teacher like his spouse Janet. They owna homenear the Rehoboth Beach shopping outlets. Janet noted thatthe couple from Staten Islandmade their first trip to Delaware 12 years ago driving past their usual haunt at Wildwood, along the Jersey Shore.

They haven't been back to Jersey, Janet said, partly because food there "stinks."

Cyclists on a collision course with Rehoboth Beach

By the numbers, Delaware beach towns are bustling

Delaware's quest for this year-round acclimation beganin1989, when the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey BeachChamber of Commerce hiredCarol Everhartto create an event to extend the beach season into late fall. Everhart came up withthe Sea Witch Festival, which brought 5,000 people to the shore that first Halloween.

Everhart deemed the inaugural eventa failure. But Sea Witchnow brings200,000 visitors to Delaware's beaches each fall, and it's augmented with festivals focused onchocolate,sandcastles and gumbo. Then there are six events annually featuring dogs.

Restaurants are now jammed on weekday nights in January, with diners being a mix of locals andout-of-towners. Hotels are teeming with families angling forweekend-themed events. And shops are increasingly keeping theirdoors open, rather than boarding up for winter.

Matt's Fish Camp in Bethany Beach had40 employees on payrollthis February.

"Five years ago that would have been ludicrous," said Scott Kammerer, president ofSoDel Concepts, which operates 10 coastal restaurants, a food truck and a catering company. Thecompany's sales rose40 percent in February, following the busiest January ever, Kammerer said. Last June, SoDel opened a new Matt's Fish Camp in Lewes.

Its not 25 years of renaissance," said Chip Hearn,owner of The Ice Cream Store on Rehoboth Avenue since 1970. "It's25 years straightof renaissance.

You'vegot every kind of food imaginable done extraordinarilywell right here in Rehoboth, Dewey, Lewes and the Bethany area, Hearn said. Ill put it against anybody, and I go all over the country doing shows.

Inside of the Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats located in Rehoboth Beach, De.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

When Dogfish Head opened on Rehoboth Beach in 1996, 80 percent of the businesses closed after the season. Now, 80 percent are open year-round in some type of variation likeThursday to Sunday a few weeks out of the year, Everhart said.

Twenty-one years ago, Dogfish Head founder SamCalagione notes, his business "wasthe smallest commercial brewery in America, and people thought we were insane when we announced that we were going to be open year-round."

Today, Dogfish Head is one of the nations 25 largest craft brewers out of more than 6,000. The company operates a production brewery in Milton, a seafood restaurant-brewpubin Rehoboth Beach, which it is renovating and expanding, and a beer-themed inn in Lewes. Dogfish employs more than 250 workers and producesmore than 260,000 barrels of beer per year.

Calagione agrees that the dining scene at the Delaware beaches is a big draw. But he points to one thing that has not changedsince Sea Witch was conceived the naturalbeauty of the coastline and Rehoboth's iconic boardwalk.

"It's made coastal Delaware not just a tourist destination," he said, "but a relocation destination."

Warming weather

Like the planet as a whole, Delaware is getting warmer. Over the last half century in Lewes, the average winter temperaturehas gone up 3degrees, the growing season is longerand the number of days below freezing hasdeclined by almost half, according to a study by the Office of the Delaware State Climatologist completed in 2010.

"Lewes has quite a few more mild winter nights now than it used to back in the mid-20th century," said Kevin Brinson, associate state climatologist and director of the Delaware Environmental Observing System.

And experts predictDelaware'sweather will only get warmer.

Delaware officials hired Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist and director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University, to project future climate trends.Hayhoe, working with state Climatologist Daniel Leathers, projected temperatures will increase another 1.5 to 2 degrees. By mid-century, temperatures will rise 2.5 to 4.5 degrees. And by century's endtemperatures are expected to rise somewhere between 3.5 and 9.5 degrees.

Rehoboth Beach, De. boardwalk Monday, Feb. 20, 2017.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

That would puta typical winter day atRehoboth Beach in the mid-50s during January and February, rather than the mid-40s of today.

Warmer temperatures have a downside, though.For low-lying states like Delaware, the implications are significant. Delaware has already spent millions of dollars to pump sand from the shoals offshore back onto beaches sand that's lost with each passing storm. The federal government has contributed millions more with major, ongoing sand restoration and repair projects from Broadkill Beach along Delaware Bay south to Wallops Island in Virginia.

Rehoboth loses a foot or two of sand each year and Rehoboth is slightly higher than the rest of Delawares coast, positioned as it is on a headland. But along the billion-dollar boardwalk, with the giant, neon orange sign advertising Dolles popcorn and saltwater taffy, the risk is real.

The other problem is that as the ocean off the Mid-Atlantic coast warms, storms could get stronger. The biggest hurricanes Delawareans typically experience are category 1,with winds of 74 to 95 miles per hour and a storm surge of 4 to 5 feet. That means storm surge as we know it would be even higher as sea level rises and if stormsbecome more powerful.

With every big storm, Delaware's governor and congressional delegation push for new federal funding forso-called beach renourishment projects. But the administration of President Donald Trump has yet to weigh in on whether it will support ongoing efforts to dredge sand offshore of America's beaches, then pump it onshore and smooth it to perfection.

When the sun's shining and the beaches are manicured, visitors come.

"Unless we have a bad weather situation, they (tourists) are here," Everhart said.

In 2010, the chamberestimated 6,998,700visitors came to theCoastal Highway, Rehobothdowntown and Dewey Beach area.By 2015, the number jumped to nearly 8 million. As 2016 calculations roll in,Everhart expects even more growth ahead.

Taylor and Colin Zreet of, Dallas, Texas, talk about planning their vacation to the area on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017.(Photo: Staff photo by Megan Raymond)

When they arrived at Lewes in mid-February from Dallas, where their hometown has been heating up year-round,Colin and Taylor Zreetwere hoping for cooler weather.The millennials planned their one-year anniversary trip around their shared loved of craft beer, and Dogfish Head was a big draw, they said, as they sat next to acrackling fire at the Dogfish Inn on another 60-degreeday in late February.

It was the couple's first time visiting the Delaware coast, and in just a few daysthe quiet beaches, outdooractivities and dining made an impression.

We dontreally get good seafood in north Texas, Taylor Zreet said. We're determined to eat seafood for every dinner while were here.

A community united

If a first-rate dining scene, a warm climate with clean beaches and events like Sea Witch brought tourists from all backgrounds to the Delaware beaches, it was CAMP Rehoboth that unified them in the late 1990s.

Creating A More Positive Rehoboth started in 1991 as an organization that lobbiedfor the commonality of people whether theyare gay, lesbian or straight, according to Executive Director and co-founder Steve Elkins.

CAMP Rehoboth became the resource for outreach in Rehoboth to unite the community and fight for equal rights.After sexual orientation incidentsin the early 1990s clouded the city's future toward welcoming the gay and lesbian community, city police and officials told Elkins they were not going to let discrimination standanymore.

"It became a little more acceptable for two men or two women to walk down the boardwalk holding hands, knowing the police were going to protect them as opposed to harassthem," Elkins said.

Rehoboth Beach and the boardwalk was filled during President's Day Weekend thanks to sunshine and warm temperatures.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

The communities continued to bond together and in 1997, then-Gov. Tom Carper signed hate crimes legislation adding sexual orientation into Delaware law at a ceremony in front of Rehoboth Beach's City Hall.

Businesses in Rehoboththat didn't feel comfortable expressing themselves before the legislation was signed into law were suddenly empowered, Elkins said. Now, Rehoboth Beach is consistently touted as a top LGBT destination whether it is for nightlife, beaches or dining.

"That was really a turning point when the city said, 'We value the LGBTof course then it was just gay and lesbiancommunity contributions to our city. It was amazing how many gay and lesbian business owners finally stood up and said, 'You've been coming to my shop forever, and I'm gay or I'm a lesbian. We're friends."

Sam Cooper, who is enteringhis 27th year as Rehoboth Beach mayor, basks in the warmaffection his community enjoys. But Cooper has been steadfast in working to keep the city's most importanttraits the same as they were when he started.

As somebody who lives here, its been my home my whole life;Im keen on keeping it a nice place to live, Cooper said. I think it can be a good tourist destination, but sometimes those are at odds. You have to be aware of the quality of life for the people that live here, too.

The bustling crowd over Presidents Day Weekend caused Cooperto raise an eyebrow, but he, too, enjoyed the 70-degree day on Feb. 23. He joked with the police chief heading into a meeting, remembering 6 to 8 inches of snow on the ground in previous years.

As Rehoboth grows in popularity and sophistication,Cooper doesn't want Delaware's most famous beach town to become like a quip Yogi Berra once used to describe a favorite restaurant: "Nobody goes there anymore. Its too crowded.

Adds Cooper: "Preserve the small-town charm of the city thats the key to me."

Calagione believes coastal Delaware towns have found a happy balance between commerce and quality of life.

"I think were a far way away from saturation in terms of what our community can accommodate," Calagione said. "I live in downtown Lewes with my wife and kids,and we love every season of coastal Delaware. We appreciate that its a little more chill and less frenetic in the winter.

"I think it will always stay proportional."

Contributing: Molly Murray.

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2n8oyXo

View post:

Climate, friendly businesses make Delaware beaches a year-round ... - USA TODAY

Lawmakers propose $50 million to restore beaches – Orlando Sentinel

TALLAHASSEE Beach restoration is the latest area targeted for a slice of the money voters set aside two years ago for environmental preservation.

Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, and Rep. Kathleen Peters, R-Treasure Island, announced Friday they want to match Gov. Rick Scott's request to allocate $50 million a year for beach restoration. The money would come from the state's Land Acquisition Trust Fund, which handles money from a 2014 constitutional amendment aimed at boosting land and water conservation.

The proposal (SB 1590 and HB 1213) would require the Department of Environmental Protection to develop a three-year plan for beach repairs. It also would refocus attention on sand management at inlets and rank the most serious erosion problems as priorities.

Unfortunately, over half of Florida's sandy beaches are eroding, and only half of these miles of eroded beaches are part of a beach project," Latvala, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a prepared statement. "We can point fingers or offer excuses, but the simple answer is not enough funding, and this bill addresses that."

In recent years, the Legislature has provided $30 million a year to fight beach erosion. Scott in January requested $50 million for beach restoration as part of his proposed $83.5 billion budget.

Scott's proposal was in addition to $15.8 million he released last year through an emergency order and another $61 million that is in his proposed budget to help communities struck by hurricanes Hermine and Matthew.

Backers of the 2014 constitutional amendment, known as Amendment 1, said while they support efforts to safeguard water and land resources, they would like to see $150 million a year go to land conservation.

"These bills reflect a piecemeal approach to environmental spending," said Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon Florida. "Amendment 1 was an invitation to legislators to review and prioritize land and water conservation, Everglades restoration and coastal protection. But the big question of environmental infrastructure spending suffers from short-term thinking."

The trust fund dollars are raised through real-estate documentary-stamp taxes, known as "doc stamps." The voter-approved constitutional amendment directs 33 percent of the "doc stamp" tax revenue into the trust fund for 20 years.

Some key lawmakers have objected to using the money for land acquisition, contending the state already has more land in its inventory that it can manage. Meanwhile, they started to slice parts of the trust fund into long-term commitments last year.

A law titled Legacy Florida dedicates up to $200 million a year toward Everglades and Lake Okeechobee projects out of the money put into the trust fund annually. The law also directs $50 million a year for the state's natural springs and $5 million each year for Lake Apopka.

Legislature has full plate ahead of it

The rest is here:

Lawmakers propose $50 million to restore beaches - Orlando Sentinel

Sharp Drop-Off at Cape May Beaches Threatens Surfers, Swimmers … – NJ Spotlight

Something has spooked some of the surfers out of the water at Cape May, and its not a sharks threatening dorsal fin. Its the fact that the seafloor along the beach drops off sharply, which can create dangerous conditions for board riders and body surfers.

The problem can be traced back to World War II, when the Army Corps of Engineers extended stone jetties 4,500 feet into the ocean as protection against German submarines. But over the intervening years the jetties have starved the beaches of sand, contributing to the steep drop-off. Unfortunately, attempts to ameliorate the problem with a multi-decade beach nourishment project conducted by the Army Corps have only made matters worse, as has sea-level rise.

A crippling accident to a swimmer who broke his neck diving into the ocean at Cape May in 2015 focused attention on the situation once again.

One of the first moves of new mayor Chuck Lear was to establish a Beach Safety Advisory Committee. The group plans on gathering more extensive data concerning in-the-water injuries and establishing closer ties to regional hospitals. It also will reach out to New Jerseys congressional delegation to press for a survey of Cape May's beaches to determine whether the Army Corps can change where and how it dumps sand to increase beach safety.

Read the full story on Newsworks, a content partner of NJ Spotlight.

The rest is here:

Sharp Drop-Off at Cape May Beaches Threatens Surfers, Swimmers ... - NJ Spotlight

Most British Beaches Found to Be Polluted With Deadly Plastic – Futurism

Billions of Beads on British Beaches

Britains beaches are covered with with tiny but potentially deadly plastic beads. These beads, called nurdles, were found on almost 75 percent of 279 UK beaches that were recently surveyed.

These colorful, lentil-sized pellets might go largely unnoticed by us beach bums, but they can cause damage to birds and fish who mistake them for lunch. Additionally, the toxic chemicals nurdles release as they degrade, such as bisphenol A and polystyrene, can harm wildlife native to oceans and seashores, according to a study reported in the Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Nurdles are used to make larger plastic objects and are notorious for falling off of cargo ships during transport. The plastic pelts have been estimated to make up 10 percent of the 165 million tons of plastic that is estimated to pollute our oceans.

The survey (called The Great Winter Nurdle Hunt) was conducted by Brits who are eager to clean up their beaches. The volunteers who collected the most nerdles scoured Widemouth Bay,located in southern England,to find about 127,500 of the pellets on the 100-meter (328-foot) stretch of beach. All in all, the UKs environment gets polluted with up to 53 billion nurdles every year, campaigners estimate.

Madeleine Berg of Fidra, a Scottish environmental charity that organized the survey, said in an interview to the BBC that the hunt demonstrated that the UK government needs to take action.

Simple precautionary measures can help spillages and ensure nurdles dont end up in our environment, Berg said. We are asking the UK government to ensure best practice is in place along the full plastic supply chain, and any further nurdle pollution is stopped.

Plastic waste is not just a UK problem, but a global one that requires every nation to step up. In 2015, the United States passed a Bill banning the use of microbeads in FDA-approved products as a measure to protect US waterways. However, critics say more needs to be done to regulate plastic pollution and hold countries accountable for the environmental impact their waste has on other countries.

Recently, scientists declareda new geological age, one that is determined by the influence of humans, like the ones polluting our waters with plastic. The Anthropocene epoch is said to be a new age of man, signifying the intense influence human activity is having on the future geological record. At some point, we must ask ourselves is this how we want to be remembered?

See the article here:

Most British Beaches Found to Be Polluted With Deadly Plastic - Futurism

Portuguese man-of-war spotted on several Treasure Coast beaches – TCPalm

Portuguese man-of-war spotted on Indian River County beaches March 5, 2017.(Photo: ELLIOTT JONES/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)Buy Photo

Strong winds are washing Portuguese man-of-warashore in Indian River and St. Lucie countiesSunday, prompting officials to issue warnings at the beaches, a St. Lucie County official said Sunday.

Purple flags, signifying Portuguese man-of-war, are flying, along with red flags for the rough surf at Pepper and Waveland parks in St. Lucie County, said county spokesman Erick Gill.

Purple flags also are flying at Vero Beach's Humiston Beach, according to the National Weather Service, Melbourne.

Tentacles of jellyfish-like Portuguese man-of-war can produce painful stings days after they wash ashore, said Indian River County lifeguard Eric Toomsoo.

Winds brought Portuguese man-of-war onto beaches and rough surf March 5, 2017.(Photo: ELLIOTT JONES/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

On Sunday, the National Weather Service issued a warning for large breaking waves and rip currents that will create hazardous swimming conditions until the early evening.

"Heavy breaking waves could knock you down," according to the service's warning that extends to lakes where waves could overturn small boats. Waves up to 6 feet tall have been reported.

Winds Sunday have been gusting to 30 mph and are forecast to continue gusting to about 25 mph Monday and Tuesday, before diminishing to 5 mph Wednesday, according to forecasters.

Portuguese man-of-war could continue to wash ashore as long as the strong winds continue, Gill said.

"Beachgoers may experience jellyfish on the beaches for the next few days."

As Nevada resident Lisa Michaels looked at a washed up man-of-warby the Ocean Grill in Vero Beach Sunday, she remembered being stung by one in Fort Lauderdale when she was 8. She picked up what she thought was a bag in the water.

"I ran crying out of the water. I wailed," Michaels said.Now her advice to others is to not pick up unknown things floating in the surf.

Portuguese man-of-war: Also called bluebottle jellyfish, Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish live mostly in warmer seas. This type has a blue or purplish gas-filled bubble that keeps it afloat on the water and acts as a sail.

Sign/Symptoms of sting

Severe jellyfish stings can affect multiple body systems. These reactions may appear rapidly or several hours after the stings.

Treatment Seek emergency treatment if:

Most jellyfish stings can be treated by rinsing the area with salt water, applying vinegar or a baking soda paste, and taking a pain reliever.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Read or Share this story: http://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/st-lucie-county/2017/03/05/portuguese-man--war-spotted-several-treasure-coast-beaches/98776066/

Read the rest here:

Portuguese man-of-war spotted on several Treasure Coast beaches - TCPalm

Coronado beaches reopens weeks after Tijuana sewage spill … – fox5sandiego.com

CORONADO, Calif. Sunday was the first day in several weeks that surfers, swimmers and kids wanting to play in the the wet sand had a green light to touch the Pacific Ocean in Coronado, but miles of beach south of there remained closed due to the huge sewage spill in Tijuana.

Beaches from Avenida Lunar, one block south of the Hotel del Coronado, north to the Navy Base were declared safe Saturday evening by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health. Testing confirmed that the water quality met state health standards.

But the beaches of Silver Strand, Imperial Beach and the border area remained off limits to water contact due to sewage flows from the Tijuana River.

The ocean shoreline from the International Border to the north end of Silver Strand at Avenida Lunar will remain closed until sampling confirms these areas are safe for water contact, the department said in a statement.

International water quality experts were blindsided last month, when a major sewage transmission line in Tijuana was closed for repairs and millions of gallons of raw sewage diverted to the Tijuana River, which flows into the United States at San Ysidro.

South Bay Clean Water Movement hosted an event Sunday called Letters at the Pier involving kids and adults writing dozens of letters after U.S. officials estimate 143 million gallons of sewage spilled from Tijuana last month.

We set up a booth today to invite everybody down to write letters to our reps and we want them to know we want action, we want clean water, said Molly Goforth with South Bay Clean Water Movement.They plan to mail the lettersto representatives this week.

Drone video provided to Fox 5 shows just how widespread the spill has impacted the Pacific Ocean.

Its worrisome because its all the same water and how do we ensure where we are swimming is still clean, said Coronado resident Devarae Loomis. I think the biggest thing is, its cleaned up and it doesnt happen again.

Currently officials with the International Boundary and Water Commission said they would look into the matter, according to the group Wildcoast. The investigation is expected to last 30 days and results are expected by April 1.

We want anyone to pay for it, we want clean water, said Goforth.

Read the rest here:

Coronado beaches reopens weeks after Tijuana sewage spill ... - fox5sandiego.com

Delaware beaches transform into year-round destination – Delmarva Daily Times

The Rehoboth Beach boardwalk Monday, Feb. 20, 2017.(Photo: Staff photo by Megan Raymond)Buy Photo

It's 62degrees and the sun is shining bright. Parking spots are impossible to find onRehoboth Avenue or side streets.

Restaurants are slammed. Beachgoers crowdthe boardwalk benches, many lickingice cream cones.

And it's Feb. 20, Presidents Day.

Innovative business owners, a warming climate and an aggressive marketing plan arequickly making Delaware beaches a year-round destination.

I cant believe how much more popular its become in the (past) five years, said Peter Devlin, a school teacher like his spouse Janet. They owna homenear the Rehoboth Beach shopping outlets. Janet noted thatthe couple from Staten Islandmade their first trip to Delaware 12 years ago driving past their usual haunt at Wildwood, along the Jersey Shore.

They haven't been back to Jersey, Janet said, partly because food there "stinks."

Delaware's quest for this year-round acclimation beganin1989, when the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey BeachChamber of Commerce hiredCarol Everhartto create an event to extend the beach season into late fall. Everhart came up withthe Sea Witch Festival, which brought 5,000 people to the shore that first Halloween.

Everhart deemed the inaugural eventa failure. But Sea Witchnow brings200,000 visitors to Delaware's beaches each fall, and it's augmented with festivals focused onchocolate,sandcastles and gumbo. Then there are six events annually featuring dogs.

READ MORE: Businesses and tourists bewitched by the Sea Witch

MORE FOOD: Back Porch Cafe: four decades of cutting-edge cuisine

Restaurants are now jammed on weekday nights in January, with diners being a mix of locals andout-of-towners. Hotels are teeming with families angling forweekend-themed events. And shops are increasingly keeping theirdoors open, rather than boarding up for winter.

Matt's Fish Camp in Bethany Beach had40 employees on payrollthis February.

"Five years ago that would have been ludicrous," said Scott Kammerer, president ofSoDel Concepts, which operates 10 coastal restaurants, a food truck and a catering company. Thecompany's sales rose40 percent in February, following the busiest January ever, Kammerer said. Last June, SoDel opened a new Matt's Fish Camp in Lewes.

Its not 25 years of renaissance," said Chip Hearn,owner of The Ice Cream Store on Rehoboth Avenue since 1970. "It's25 years straightof renaissance.

You'vegot every kind of food imaginable done extraordinarilywell right here in Rehoboth, Dewey, Lewes and the Bethany area, Hearn said. Ill put it against anybody, and I go all over the country doing shows.

Inside of the Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats located in Rehoboth Beach, De.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

When Dogfish Head opened on Rehoboth Beach in 1996, 80 percent of the businesses closed after the season. Now, 80 percent are open year-round in some type of variation likeThursday to Sunday a few weeks out of the year, Everhart said.

Twenty-one years ago, Dogfish Head founder SamCalagione notes, his business "wasthe smallest commercial brewery in America, and people thought we were insane when we announced that we were going to be open year-round."

Today, Dogfish Head is one of the nations 25 largest craft brewers out of more than 6,000. The company operates a production brewery in Milton, a seafood restaurant-brewpubin Rehoboth Beach, which it is renovating and expanding, and a beer-themed inn in Lewes. Dogfish employs more than 250 workers and producesmore than 260,000 barrels of beer per year.

Calagione agrees that the dining scene at the Delaware beaches is a big draw. But he points to one thing that has not changedsince Sea Witch was conceived the naturalbeauty of the coastline and Rehoboth's iconic boardwalk.

"It's made coastal Delaware not just a tourist destination," he said, "but a relocation destination."

Janet and Peter Devlin, of Staten Island, N.Y., have a part time home in Rehoboth that they visit frequently through the year.(Photo: Staff photo by Megan Raymond)

Regina Henise snuggledher husband, Fred,as he held a bowl of Kilwin's ice cream. Two spoons dipped into the melty cappuccinoas the York, Pennsylvania couple watched the Presidents Daycrowdgrow onRehoboth Beach's boardwalk.

On a picture-perfect day,boardwalk benches were filled,gulls cawed for Thrasher's French Fries and the trash cans filled to capacity as waves lapped gently on shore.

Regina and Fred have been visitingthe Rehoboth area for 37 years, but had never seen it this busy during winter.

Clearly, the weather has helped.

Like the planet as a whole, Delaware is getting warmer. Over the last half century in Lewes, the average winter temperaturehas gone up 3degrees, the growing season is longerand the number of days below freezing hasdeclined by almost half, according to a study by the Office of the Delaware State Climatologist completed in 2010.

"Lewes has quite a few more mild winter nights now than it used to back in the mid-20th century," said Kevin Brinson, associate state climatologist and director of the Delaware Environmental Observing System.

And experts predictDelaware'sweather will only get warmer.

Rehoboth Beach, De. boardwalk Monday, Feb. 20, 2017.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

Delaware officials hired Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist and director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University, to project future climate trends.Hayhoe, working with state Climatologist Daniel Leathers, projected temperatures will increase another 1.5 to 2 degrees. By mid-century, temperatures will rise 2.5 to 4.5 degrees. And by century's endtemperatures are expected to rise somewhere between 3.5 and 9.5 degrees.

That would puta typical winter day atRehoboth Beach in the mid-50s during January and February, rather than the mid-40s of today.

READ MORE: Bethany Jazz Funeral mourners say 'goodbye' to summer

Warmer temperatures have a downside, though.For low-lying states like Delaware, the implications are significant. Delaware has already spent millions of dollars to pump sand from the shoals offshore back onto beaches sand that's lost with each passing storm. The federal government has contributed millions more with major, ongoing sand restoration and repair projects from Broadkill Beach along Delaware Bay south to Wallops Island in Virginia.

In the last century, sea level has risen a foot at Breakwater Harbor in Lewes, and slightly more at the Ocean City, Marylandinlet. Sealevel rise is expected to accelerate in the coming decades.

Rehoboth loses a foot or two of sand each year and Rehoboth is slightly higher than the rest of Delawares coast, positioned as it is on a headland. But along the billion-dollar boardwalk, with the giant, neon orange sign advertising Dolles popcorn and saltwater taffy, the risk is real.

Rehoboth Beach, De. boardwalk Monday, Feb. 20, 2017.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

The other problem is that as the ocean off the Mid-Atlantic coast warms, storms could get stronger. The biggest hurricanes Delawareans typically experience are category 1,with winds of 74 to 95 miles per hour and a storm surge of 4 to 5 feet. That means storm surge as we know it would be even higher as sea level rises and if stormsbecome more powerful.

With every big storm, Delaware's governor and congressional delegation push for new federal funding forso-called beach renourishment projects. But the administration of President Donald Trump has yet to weigh in on whether it will support ongoing efforts to dredge sand offshore of America's beaches, then pump it onshore and smooth it to perfection.

CLOSER LOOK:Is the cost of OC, Del., beach replenishment worth it?

When the sun's shining and the beaches are manicured, visitors come.

"Unless we have a bad weather situation, they (tourists) are here," Everhart said.

In 2010, the chamberestimated 6,998,700visitors came to theCoastal Highway, Rehobothdowntown and Dewey Beach area.By 2015, the number jumped to nearly 8 million. As 2016 calculations roll in,Everhart expects even more growth ahead.

When they arrived at Lewes in mid-February from Dallas, where their hometown has been heating up year-round,Colin and Taylor Zreetwere hoping for cooler weather.The millennials planned their one-year anniversary trip around their shared loved of craft beer, and Dogfish Head was a big draw, they said, as they sat next to acrackling fire at the Dogfish Inn on another 60-degreeday in late February.

Taylor and Colin Zreet of, Dallas, Texas, talk about planning their vacation to the area on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017.(Photo: Staff photo by Megan Raymond)

It was the couple's first time visiting the Delaware coast, and in just a few daysthe quiet beaches, outdooractivities and dining made an impression.

We dontreally get good seafood in north Texas, Taylor Zreet said. We're determined to eat seafood for every dinner while were here.

The Zreets weren't the only newcomers in town either. Vince and Cindy Roback, of Pasadena, Maryland were spending their first weekend in the Lewes and Rehoboth Beach area. The Maryland couple, who enjoyoutdoor activities, always knew about the area, but had only really heard about Grotto Pizza.

After 24 hours, that's all changed.

"I wasnt even here 10 minutes, and I said, 'Were coming back,'" said Vince Roback.

If a first-rate dining scene, a warm climate with clean beaches and events like Sea Witch, brought tourists from all backgrounds to the Delaware beaches, it was CAMP Rehoboth that unified them in the late 1990s.

Creating A More Positive Rehoboth started in 1991 as an organization that lobbiedfor the commonality of people whether theyare gay, lesbian or straight, according to Executive Director and co-founder Steve Elkins.

CAMP Rehoboth became the resource for outreach in Rehoboth to unite the community and fight for equal rights.After sexual orientation incidentsin the early 1990s clouded the city's future toward welcoming the gay and lesbian community, city police and officials told Elkins they were not going to let discrimination standanymore.

"It became a little more acceptable for two men or two women to walk down the boardwalk holding hands, knowing the police were going to protect them as opposed to harassthem," Elkins said.

The communities continued to bond together and in 1997, then-Gov. Tom Carper signed hate crimes legislation adding sexual orientation into Delaware law at a ceremony in front of Rehoboth Beach's City Hall.

Rehoboth Beach, De. boardwalk Monday, Feb. 20, 2017.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

Businesses in Rehoboththat didn't feel comfortable expressing themselves before the legislation was signed into law were suddenly empowered, Elkins said. Now, Rehoboth Beach is consistently touted as a top LGBT destination whether it is for nightlife, beaches or dining.

"That was really a turning point when the city said, 'We value the LGBTof course then it was just gay and lesbiancommunity contributions to our city. It was amazing how many gay and lesbian business owners finally stood up and said, 'You've been coming to my shop forever, and I'm gay or I'm a lesbian. We're friends."

Sam Cooper, who is enteringhis 27th year as Rehoboth Beach mayor, basks in the warmaffection his community enjoys. But Cooper has been steadfast in working to keep the city's most importanttraits the same as they were when he started.

As somebody who lives here, its been my home my whole life;Im keen on keeping it a nice place to live, Cooper said. I think it can be a good tourist destination, but sometimes those are at odds. You have to be aware of the quality of life for the people that live here, too.

READ MORE: Ever-evolving Rehoboth is top LGBT, family destination

READ MORE: Running and fundraising are staples at area beaches

The bustling crowd over Presidents Day Weekend caused Cooperto raise an eyebrow, but he, too, enjoyed the 70-degree day on Feb. 23. He joked with the police chief heading into a meeting, remembering 6 to 8 inches of snow on the ground in previous years.

As Rehoboth grows in popularity and sophistication,Cooper doesn't want Delaware's most famous beach town to become like a quip Yogi Berra once used to describe a favorite restaurant: "Nobody goes there anymore. Its too crowded.

Adds Cooper: "Preserve the small-town charm of the city thats the key to me."

Calagione believes coastal Delaware towns have found a happy balance between commerce and quality of life.

"I think were a far way away from saturation in terms of what our community can accommodate," Calagione said. "I live in downtown Lewes with my wife and kids,and we love every season of coastal Delaware. We appreciate that its a little more chill and less frenetic in the winter.

"I think it will always stay proportional."

Fred Henise, 56, and Regina Henise, 54, share a Kilwin's ice cream on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk on Presidents Day. The York, Pennsylvania couple has been vacationing in Rehoboth Beach for 37 years.(Photo: Staff photo by Megan Raymond)

Kammerer, of SoDel Concepts, couldn't find a place to park on Rehoboth Avenue the day before Valentine's Day. He has a difficult time with that image, having become a full-time Rehoboth Beach resident in 1995.

In the 1990s, apart fromholiday weekends, Kammerer recallsparkingright in front of his condo on Rehoboth Beach Avenue.

"It was a two-and-a-half- to three-month economy for a long time," he said.

But that's all changed.

While theconsistent year-round business has allowed Kammerer to build a better company, he misses the downtime during winter that once allowed him to recharge his batteries.

MORE BEACHES:DE Seashore State Park: 50 years of family traditions

READ MORE:S. Bethany may become last town to ban beach smoking

And there's been a change to the type of families and couples visiting the Delaware beaches, Kammerer said.

In the 90s, youd see the same faces for the first week in July every year, he said. Same faces in first week of August every year. That still exists, but its not as much the bread and butter of the business.

Rehoboth Beach and the boardwalk was filled during President's Day Weekend thanks to sunshine and warm temperatures.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

Instead, Kammerer finds a mix of new locals and generational tourists from years past. Everhart also has noticed that trend.

If there's a final pillar that supports the Delaware beaches' success, it's the generations that create history on its sandy shores.

When the event started over 20 years ago, they came as children with their parents," Everhart said."Now, over 20 years later, theyre coming back with their children, grandma and grandkids.

That squares with the Heinse family's 37 years of making memories here.

"Its just a place we all come to," Regina said. "Our grandchildren love to come here, and our kids love to come.They all wanted to come down when they found out we were coming yesterday... We just thought it would be a great weekend to get away since I wasoff work (Presidents Day).

"Yeah, it makes it fun. It's beautiful out."

The News Journal's Molly Murray contributed to this report. Contact Ryan Marshall at (302) 324-7704 or rmarshall@dmg.gannett.com.

Read or Share this story: http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/delaware/2017/03/04/delaware-beaches-tourist-seasons/98495150/

More:

Delaware beaches transform into year-round destination - Delmarva Daily Times

Senate budget chief Latvala wants Florida’s beaches ‘done right’ – Naples Daily News

Florida state Sen. Jack Latvala unveils a comprehensive beach bill in Naples on March 3, 2017. Video by Ryan Mills.

State Senator Jack Latvala discuss landmark legislation to protect and restore Floridas beaches alongside state Representative Kathleen Peters during a news conference at Lowdermilk Park in Naples on Friday, March 3, 2017. (Photo: Nicole Raucheisen/Naples Daily News)Buy Photo

Saying state leaders are falling behind on their commitment to beach communities, state Sen. Jack Latvala on Fridayoutlined comprehensive legislation that would overhaul the way Florida manages its eroding shores.

Thelegislation would:

Latvala, R-Clearwater, chairman of the Senate appropriations committee, announced his plan at Lowdermilk Park in Naples, with the Gulf of Mexico lapping behind him.

Weve got tangible evidence that the health of our beaches is a big return on investment, Latvala said. Everyone acknowledges that;even the House acknowledges it. Were fighting over some of the other economic development programs. Nobody is fighting over this.

Lets at least get this done right.

Latvala's proposalcomes in the wake of the Naples Daily News'four-day "Shrinking Shores" series that outlined failures in Florida's beach management program.

Read the Shrinking Shores series:

Shrinking Shores: How Florida leaders are failing the state's famous beaches

Shrinking Shores: Florida reneges on pledges to its beaches

Shrinking Shores: Florida sand shortage leaves beaches in lurch

Shrinking Shores: Matthew's lessons for Florida's beaches

The series showed that even though beaches bring in billions annually for the state in tourism-related sales taxes, Floridas lawmakers and governors typically return less than 1 percent to the shoreline every year. Some years the statefailed to deliver the $30 million promised in a 1998 state law, and leaderseventually changed the law to greatly reduce the beach obligation.

State Representative Kathleen Peters discusses landmark legislation to protect and restore Floridas beaches alongside state Senator Jack Latvala, from left, Collier County Commissioner Burt Saunders, President of the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association Deborah Flack, Executive Director of the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau Tamara Pigott and General Manager of the Naples Hilton Clark Hill during a news conference at Lowdermilk Park in Naples on Friday, March 3, 2017. (Photo: Nicole Raucheisen/Naples Daily News)

The series also revealed how local governmentscarry the greatest burden ofrenourishment. In some cases, coastalcommunities unable or unwilling to manage their beaches have seen their shores wash away.

The reason we are here in Naples is because of the really outstanding effort the Naples Daily News has put forward on this issue, Latvala said.

With his 22-page bill (SB 1590), Latvala is advocatingwhat would be the biggest overhaul of the states beach management system in nearly 20 years.

Among the highlights, the plan would:

Latvala was joined Friday by other state and local leaders, including Rep. Kathleen Peters, R-South Pasadena, who is sponsoring a companion bill in the House. Her bill does not include the $50 million funding minimum.

Peters said Floridas beaches do more than just drive economic development and tourism. Theyprotect homes, buildings and other infrastructure from storm damage as well.

Northeast Florida communities without well-maintained beaches were hit harder by Hurricane Matthew last October, she said, losing roads and power lines. Too many communities havent had the resources to rebuild their beaches to protect from storms, Peters said.

The beach is a natural protection, and we need to ensure were protecting the rest of our infrastructure, she said.

Collier County Commissioner Burt Saunders, who attended Fridays event, said the county is proud of its beachesand protecting them is vital.

I believe they are the most important environmental and economic asset we have in this community, Saunders said. I believe our beaches are really the driving force of our entire economy.

Instead of tackling the individual issues addressed in his bill separately, Latvala said he wanted to do one big bill that got as much of it as we could.

Youve got to look atall of it together, he said.

Establishing the three-year work plan might be the most radical proposed change. Latvala modeled it after the five-year plan the Florida Department of Transportation uses to map out road projects.

The proposal is designed to give local governments more time to prepare to fund and construct projects. Currently, projects are scored, ranked and funded on a year-by-year basis.

We look at everything from scratch every year, he said.

Latvalas bill would give DEP more direction on how to rank and prioritize projects proposed by local governments. It specifies what percentage of a projects overall score must come from each of four tiers of criteria.

For the first time, projects would be scored on their return on investment and economic impact, calculated as the ratio of tourism-related tax revenueto the total amount requested for the project and to all county tax revenue. It also prioritizes a projects potential to reduce storm damage, cost-effectiveness and the use of structures, designs or technologies to slow erosion and reduce costs.

Also for the first time, Latvalas plan would give a bump to projects that have been on DEPs list for successive years without getting funded.

To refocus attention on the states ports and inlets, the bill would provide up to 75 percent of the funding for the construction of major sand bypassing projects.

Inlets would receive at least 10 percent of the annual legislative beach appropriation.

The bill also allows for inlets to receive a percentage of the total beach funding based on the proportion of inlet to beach requests;so if inlet projects made up 25 percent of all requests, they would get 25 percent of the money.

Debbie Flack, president of the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association, said Latvalas bill has all the parts necessary to preserve the states beaches well into the future

I think it writes the next chapter of Floridas program to preserve its beaches and its brand, she said of the bill.

Latvala acknowledged that filing the bill is only the first step in the process, but he said his leadership position in the Senate should help its chances.

Every year is a juggling act with the budget. But usually the priorities of the leaders get funded, so this is my priority this year, he said.

I dont have a higher priority in terms of the 15 bills that I sponsored this year.

Related stories:

Chasing beach funds: $50 million for coasts just a start

Gov. Rick Scott proposes doubling state's beach aid to $50 million

Shrinking Shores: How Florida leaders are failing the state's famous beaches

Shrinking Shores: Florida reneges on pledges to its beaches

Shrinking Shores: Florida sand shortage leaves beaches in lurch

Shrinking Shores: Matthew's lessons for Florida's beaches

Read or Share this story: http://nplsne.ws/2lITf5m

Excerpt from:

Senate budget chief Latvala wants Florida's beaches 'done right' - Naples Daily News

Pensacola Beach readies for spring breaker crowds – Pensacola News Journal

Melissa Nelson Gabriel , mnelsongab@pnj.com Published 11:48 a.m. CT March 4, 2017 | Updated 12:41 p.m. CT March 4, 2017

Spring Break 2015 on Pensacola Beach(Photo: Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com)Buy Photo

Pensacola Beach leaders are gearing up for spring break crowds and hoping that the thousands of college and high school students expected to visit the area during the next two months follow the rules.

Law officers are prepared for any spring break-related mayhem, said Lt. Frank Forte, director of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office substation on the beach.

"We will be out in full force, as we always are this time of year," Forte said.

Local leaders expected big crowds in 2016 following a crackdown on spring break revelry on Panama City Beach. That spring break mecca strengthened alcohol restrictions and passed other ordinances designed to curtail massive spring break crowds after a string of incidents including a house party shooting and a gang rape during spring break 2015.

But Forte said the expected crowds didn't show up on Pensacola Beach.

"We were expecting a lot more spring breakers than we had last year because of Panama City," he said. "The last few years, it hasn't been bad out here. We always expect an influx of kids for spring break, but we are prepared for it."

Beach leaders have emphasized a family friendly atmosphere when marketing the area.

Steve Hayes, president of Visit Pensacola, said the local tourism marketing office focuses its spring break advertising on people looking for family getaways and does not spend advertising dollars to target college campuses.

"When you say spring break, people think it is a college thing. It is really a lot of families who are taking the kids to visit our area," he said.

Over the last 10 years, spring tourism revenues have lagged behind summer and fall tourism revenues for the Pensacola area, Hayes said.

"Summer is the king, but fall actually does a little better than spring," said Hayes, who said Pensacola Beach has less appeal than some other beach towns for spring breakers because hotel rooms and condominium unit rentals tend to be high end and more expensive.

"You don't have a lot of inexpensive hotels and rows of bars, it's a much different market than you would find in Panama City Beach or other traditional spring break areas," he said.

Beach leaders encouragedlocal residents heading to the beach during spring break to prepare for traffic and crowds, especially during spring break weeks for school districts and universities in the region.

Robbie Schrock, spokeswoman for the beach's Santa Rosa Island Authority, encouraged visitors to take advantage of free trolley shuttles that will be in operation throughout the beach.

"We also encourage everyone to swim in lifeguard protected areas, stay hydrated, wear sunscreen and most importantly make some fun memories," she said.

For the beach trolley schedule, visit:http://www.visitpensacolabeach.com/trolleytracker/index.php

Here are the spring break dates for some area schools:

University of West Florida: March 13 through March 17

Escambia County School District:March 20 through March 24

Santa Rosa County School District: March 20 through March 24

Pensacola State College: March 20 through March 24

Baldwin County Alabama Schools: March 27 through 31

Mobile County Public Schools: April 10 through April 14

University of South Alabama: March 13 through 19

Read or Share this story: http://on.pnj.com/2lIASN4

Read this article:

Pensacola Beach readies for spring breaker crowds - Pensacola News Journal

Cause of Mexican sewage spill fouling US beaches under investigation – Reuters

By Alex Dobuzinskis | LOS ANGELES

LOS ANGELES A massive sewage spill from Mexico's Tijuana River that polluted miles of coastland in Southern California and northern Mexico has prompted an investigation, with U.S. officials calling it deliberate and Mexican authorities saying it was an accident caused by heavy rain.

The pollution closed beaches and kept surfers and swimmers out of the ocean, drawing outrage from residents of the cross-border region.

Tensions are running high between Mexico and the United States after U.S. President Donald Trump promised to build a border wall, deport millions of Mexicans in the United States illegally and tax Mexican imports.

U.S. officials, including Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina, believe the spill was deliberate to cut corners during repair work on a sewer pipeline in Mexico but not politically motivated.

"It was intentional," Dedina said by phone from the California city near the Mexican border. "The big picture is we need to work to support Mexico's effort to improve the sewage infrastructure system in Tijuana so this doesn't happen again."

A spokeswoman at the Tijuana State Public Service Commission said the spill was an accident that resulted from heavy rains collapsing a sewage interceptor in the city, adding that they notified the International Boundary and Water Commission, a joint U.S.-Mexico agency.

The commission, which is leading the investigation, was notified on Feb. 23 but U.S. officials believe the spill started at least two weeks earlier and dumped roughly 143 million gallons (541 million liters) of sewage into the Pacific Ocean, said Lori Kuczmanski, a spokeswoman for the U.S. section of the commission.

Contact with raw sewage can cause serious infections and illnesses such as diarrhea.

The sewage spill polluted 20 miles (32 km) of coastland from the areas of Rosarito in Mexico to Coronado in California, Dedina said.

U.S. Representatives Juan Vargas and Scott Peters, who represent the San Diego area, on Wednesday submitted a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State and the director of the Environmental Protection Agency asking for federal actions to prevent any similar occurrence.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Additional reporting by Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City; Editing by Patrick Enright and Lisa Shumaker)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce next week it would reopen a review of 2022-2025 vehicle emissions requirements after automakers urged the Trump administration to reverse a decision under former President Barack Obama, a source said on Friday.

WASHINGTON The Trump administration is seeking a 17 percent cut to the budget of the government's meteorological agency that monitors the climate and issues daily weather forecasts, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

SALMON, Idaho Wildlife advocates are ramping up their campaign against the annual culling of bison that roam onto state lands in Montana each winter from Yellowstone National Park, erecting dramatic billboards showing buffalo bleeding in the snow.

Visit link:

Cause of Mexican sewage spill fouling US beaches under investigation - Reuters

Offshore sand could help replenish beaches – The Westerly Sun

NARRAGANSETT Frequent storms and sea-level rise will make beach replenishment increasingly necessary in southern Rhode Island, and there is more than enough offshore sand to do the job.

Bryan Oakley, an assistant professor of geology at Eastern Connecticut State University who monitors beach erosion, and URI oceanographer John King, who located the sand deposits, presented their findings at the University of Rhode Islands Narragansett Bay campus on Feb. 28 as part of Sea Grants Coastal State discussion series.

Westerlys most dramatic beach restoration was in 2014, after Superstorm Sandy damaged Misquamicut State Beach. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers $3 million restoration effort involved trucking in 84,000 cubic yards of sand from an inland quarry.

From this section: Moratorium on quarries could buy town time

Oakley, who lives in Westerly and tracks changes to the profile of Misquamicut Beach, showed photographs of the beach before, during and after the replenishment of the beach, or berm.

They came in and put 65,000 cubic meters thats 84,000 cubic yards of sand, he said. It cost $3.1 million from glacial upland material .... After replenishment, one of my students said it looked a lot like a highway, not a bad description of it, about as soft as macadam if you were trying to sit on it that first spring.

Oakley said he wanted to see how long the new sand would remain on the beach, so he and his students mapped the area using a global positioning system. They created a model that showed that 39 percent of the sand had been washed away less than a year after the project was completed.

Thats actually not bad, Oakley said. Weve also had no major storms, and since January we havent been out. Well be back out in a couple of weeks, and were looking at some other techniques to get detailed pictures of sections of the beach and see if we can get a handle on some of the offshore distribution as well.

At $36 a cubic yard, upland sand is considerably more expensive than sand dredged from the ocean bottom, which costs $15. Oakley said the benefits of supporting a vital sector of the Rhode Island economy outweighed the expense of replenishment if those costs were kept low. Its economically practical when your rates are relatively low and the economic benefits are high, he said.

In comparison with states like New Jersey, the southern Rhode Island coast is relatively undeveloped, so beach replenishment here is less frequent.

If you think about the stretch from Watch Hill to Point Judith, weve got several large sections of undeveloped barrier beach, Oakley said. Quonochontaug, East Beach, Moonstone thats a great resource, and we should be happy we dont have this level of development that warrants running out and spending millions of dollars to dump a lot of sand on the beach.

Offshore deposits

King warned that sea-level rise would eventually render discussions of beach replenishment irrelevant. You kind of have to put this in the context of were in the midst of a slow-moving disaster of a magnitude weve never seen before due to global climate change, he said. And Im a climate scientist. So when these folks start talking about OK, were going to stop the ocean, I just say, Yeah, sure you are. You may slow it down for a while, but youre not going to stop it.

With funding from the federal Bureau of Energy Management, King mapped sections of the ocean floor in federal waters just outside Rhode Islands 3-mile limit. The goal of the project was to find a source of sand that would be large enough to be used for extensive beach replenishment initiatives.

With beach replenishment, you either go big or go home, he said.

Kings team first used sonar to determine the composition of the ocean bottom and the thickness of the sand deposits. They also took samples of the bottom to determine the quality of the sand. The upland sand used in the Misquamicut replenishment was coarser than natural beach sand and did not match the texture of the existing beach.

When youre doing this kind of thing, you not only need to know if its sand, you need to know if its high-quality sand, he said. King said he knew from looking at geological data that the best sand would likely be found off the coast near Charlestown, where it had been deposited when the glaciers retreated 20,000 years ago.

We sort of zeroed in on this area along the south coast, he said. Theres a thing called the Charlestown moraine, its like a long pillow, which is actually a glacial terminal moraine a big pile of material that builds up in front of an ice sheet.

In front of the terminal moraine was a huge lake, which was created by a dam made by the ice sheet and the moraine behind it.

So you had a very, very big glacial lake, and streams coming off of this ice sheet into the lake, forming big deltaic deposits. So these loaves of material are deltas that were actually debris coming from the melting ice sheet, sometimes underneath, a little bit over the top, carrying a lot of sand and gravel, he said.

Kings team decided to take a closer look at the sand and gravel deltas and created profiles of what are known as glaciodeltaic deposits, and they are huge. The newly mapped deposits are estimated to contain approximately 160 million cubic meters, or 209,272,099 cubic yards, of sand.

We have an order of magnitude more sand out there than we need anytime soon, King said.

The next phase of the project will involve a Special Area Management Plan of the areas where promising deposits have been found to determine the effects that mining the sand might have on the marine ecosystem.

The question is, can you go out there and remove 5 to 10 feet of this material without having a really devastating impact to the bottom, and thats a question we dont have an answer to yet, King said. Thats where the SAMP approach comes in. At some point, we have to talk about what are the impacts to habitat.

cdrummond@thewesterlysun.com

@CynthiaDrummon4

View original post here:

Offshore sand could help replenish beaches - The Westerly Sun

Imperial Beach Sewage Spill Draws Dozens of Angry Residents to IBWC Meeting – NBC 7 San Diego

Dozens of angry South Bay residents packed a International Boundaries Water Commission meeting Thursday evening, concerned about the massive sewage spill in Tijuana, Mexico, that contaminated water in the San Diego area.

When our kids cant go and swim at the beach thats right across form us, a state beach, its very upsetting, said meeting attendee Leslie Bell of Coronado Cays. We just want to make sure that somebody is held accountable for it.

The commission agreed to carry out a binational investigation into the more than 143 million gallons of raw sewagespilled in Tijuana. Additionally, officials explained the situation to residents and answered their questions.

Countless residents in the area have felt, and smelled, the aftermath of the spill. In addition to the health concerns and general inconveniences the incident has produced, people nearby are concerned that they're just now hearing about it.

"If it hadn't gotten worse and worse, they would have just gotten away with it if they could have," Bell said as her daughter stood nearby with a sign that read "Mexico must Pay!"

"So how often is this happening?" Bell added. "I feel like I have to go test the water every time my kids go swimming now."

The spill has been described as the worst sewage spill in more than a decade by Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina.

The leak began Feb. 6, according to a report by the commission. The sewage slowly seeped into the Tijuana Riverand made its way up the coast, causing an unusual odor for those people living in Imperial Beach.

The odor has lingered in the community for weeks.

Dedina says the city filed an official complaint on Feb. 15. He wants the U.S. government to investigate what caused the spill and why his city's residents weren't notified of the contamination.

"We expect to get results," Dedina said. "We're here to do that, but more importantly, to get the public to turn outrage into action so that our federal elected officials take action to invest in our border infrastructure."

The commission said the leak was likely caused by sewer construction gone wrong. The State Public Services Commission of Tijuana repaired a sewer line last month and, during the repairs, diverted sewage into the Tijuana River.

Roberto Espinoza, an engineer and representative for Mexico's arm of the International Boundaries Water Commission, spoke at the meeting through an interpreter. He said a pipe in the main line near the Tijuana and Alamar Rivers' intersection failed under pressure from recent storms. He added that the leak was not intentional and happened during an emergency repair.

Espinoza went on to say that there was a breakdown in communication between the commission and operators in Mexico, and that while he can't explain how it happened, he does regret it.

"You should have received that information on time," Espinoza said.

Local leaders believe the spill was preventable.

Weeks later, signs remain on the beach warning people to stay out of the ocean from Imperial Beach to Coronado.

In addition to community leaders, many residents are also furious, saying the sewage should've been recaptured and put back into the treatment system instead of being allowed to travel all the way into the Pacific Ocean.

Plus, they say they were never warned of the activity.

A preliminary U.S. investigation determined the spill released upwards of 143 million gallons of raw sewage, but Mexico disputes that.

Dave Gibson, Executive Officer San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, said that given advances, this should not have happened.

Two-hundred years ago this might have been the state of the science but there's absolutely no question, whatsoever, that the state of the science is you capture the sewage and you keep it in the system," Gibson told NBC 7 on Thursday.

The spill prompted Gibson to write a letter to both U.S. and Mexican commissioners, requesting the need for improved sewer system reliability and interagency communication.

The letter included a list of measures that Gibson said the commission should consider including the detailed investigation into the breakdown in communications that led to the spill, without any apparent attempt at diversion or public notification.

Gibson also suggested developing a binational public notification protocol for all sewage releases into storm water systems, the Tijuana River, or its tributaries. This would include notifying public health agencies, landowners and the media in both countries, in the event that a spill like this happens again.

Gibson also wants the commission to consider utilizing a back-up pump station in San Ysidro that, in his words, would complement the existing station in Tijuana."

Gibson argued it could, under special circumstances, divert emergency flows to the City of San Diegos Point Loma or South Bay wastewater treatment plants, or the commission's wastewater treatment plant.

Other suggestions include:

Construction of a weir across the main channel of the Tijuana River to allow capture, retention, infiltration, or diversion of unexpected flows during the dry season to prevent or minimize impacts to the lower Tijuana River and Estuary and beaches in Tijuana, Imperial Beach, and Coronado.

An enhanced and binationally coordinated watershed and coastal waters monitoring program to develop information that would inform our efforts through Minute 320 to improve environmental quality in both countries.

To read the full letter, click here.

According to adocument released by the commissionThursday, both U.S. and Mexican commissioners have agreed to investigate the transboundary sewage spill.

The investigation will determine when the spill occurred, quantify how much sewage spilled, specify the characteristics of the sewage, and identify problems in procedures to notify the Commission and the public, the document states.

The investigation on the spill and a report must be submitted within 30 days, per an agreement between U.S. Commissioner Edward Drusina and Mexican Commissioner Roberto Salmon. The commissions binational Water Quality Work Group will handle the investigation.

Published at 3:23 PM PST on Mar 2, 2017 | Updated at 9:57 AM PST on Mar 3, 2017

Excerpt from:

Imperial Beach Sewage Spill Draws Dozens of Angry Residents to IBWC Meeting - NBC 7 San Diego

Machine Crushes Beer Bottles Into Sand to Save New Zealand Beaches – Geek

Drink beer, save the environment. Thats the rallying cry of DB Breweries, a New Zealand-based company helping to combat the global sand shortage.

The firm, as reported by AdWeek, built a fleet of machines that crush empty glass bottles into a sand substitute, used to save the nations pristine beaches.

Sand is used in everything from construction to pharmaceuticals; a major ingredient of mortar, plaster, concrete, and asphalt, businesses often collect beach sand in bulk. As a result, according to DB, two-thirds of the worlds beaches are retreating.

Amazingly, the answer to the sand shortage could be to drink beer, the company said in a promotional video (below).

The machineslikely for use in bars and restaurants across the islandrecycle empties right before your drunken eyes. Push the container through a bottle-shaped hole, then watch as a vacuum system removes silica dust and plastic labels, leaving behind pure glass sand. Each bottle produces 200 grams of powder substitute in about five seconds.

DB Breweries

DB Export Beer Bottle Sand will be distributed for roading projects, commercial and residential construction, even golf bunkers. The brewery is currently finalizing a two-year deal with DryMix, New Zealands largest producer of bagged concrete, AdWeek reported.

DB Breweries

Kiwis, we love our beaches, and we love our beer, Sean ODonnell, marketing director at DB Breweries, said in the video. So wouldnt it be great if you could have a beer and do something for the environment? I mean, thats pretty exciting.

Tipplers can look for the Drink DB Export, save our beaches label on the neck of local beer bottlesa reminder to salvage the container.

We cant solve the problem alone, but we knew we could do more to help, ODonnell told AdWeek. Were proud to launch an initiative that can help us do our bit to protect our beaches for future generations.

This recycling program follows 2015s successful Brewtoleum campaign, in which DB turned leftover yeast from the brewing process into clean-burning, conflict-free biofuel.

You can bring recycledflare to your own home too. Why wait?!

Here is the original post:

Machine Crushes Beer Bottles Into Sand to Save New Zealand Beaches - Geek

Going to the Shore? A List of New Jersey Beaches with a Price Tag … – NBC 10 Philadelphia

Photo of Wildwood entrance in New Jersey.

The weather is warming up and summer months are soon approaching.

Many families will head to New Jerseys best beaches to enjoy the sun.

While a select number of beaches are free, the majority of seaside towns charge for entry.

The Asbury Park Press reported Thursday that Berkeley Township approved a beach badge price hike.

Daily tags have increased from $5 to $8, and weekly badges have increased from $20 to $25.

Mayor Carmen F. Amato suggests the price change indicates rising costs of beach upkeep, trash removal, lifeguards, and police patrols.

Check out this list of NJ beaches, to see which ocean views have a beach tag.

Your Shore Shots: Land and Sea Scapes

Seaside Heights:

Known for its nightlife, Casino Pier and exciting boardwalk Seaside Heights' daily tag is $8, weekly tag is $35 and a seasonal tag starts at $45.

Fun at the Shore

Barnegat Light:

Named for its famous attraction, the Barnegat Lighthouse is one of New Jerseys most famous landmarks. Visitors can experience serenity and history, this Ocean County shores daily tag is $5, a weekly tag is $22, and a seasonal starts at $30.

Surf City Beach:

Most popular for fishing and the Sandcastle Inn Surf City Beach's daily tag is $7, weekly is $17, and seasonal tag starts at $35.

WATCH: Six-Year Old Reels In Giant Striped Bass in LBI

Long Beach Township:

This 12 mile island, mostly known for its Art Foundation has a daily tag of $7, a weekly tag of $20, and a seasonal badge starting at $30.

WATCH: Dolphins Swim at the Jersey Shore

Margate Beach:

Preseason tags start at $7.00 (April-May), after June 1st, prices go up to $15.

Memorial Day at Brigantine

Brigantine Beach:

Brigantine Beach offers surfing, kite flying, four-wheeling, and sport-fishing with a daily tag of $8, weekly tag of $14, and seasonal tag starting at $15.

Atlantic City:

The world famous Atlantic City is known for a big boardwalk, a free beach, and big fun. With endless retail stores, saltwater taffy and five star casinos a weekend in AC one for the books.

Sea Isle City:

Looking for a calm and relaxing ocean view without the hustle and bustle of a boardwalk? Sea Isle City Beach is the perfect getaway. A daily tag is $5, a weekly tag is $10, and a seasonal tag starts at $20.

MOSHPIX: Jaws Youth Fund Run

Stone Harbor & Avalon Beaches

These two beaches make up more than 7 miles of New Jersey's oceanfront. Stone Harbor and Avalon Beaches have a daily tag of $6, a weekly tag of $12, and a seasonal tag of $23.

Cape May Wedding Season

Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood Beaches

Wildwood Beaches offers an amusement park, dog beach, and a water park. These free beaches showcase dance clubs, pubs, and sports bars. Wildwood offers fun for the whole family.

Cape May Wedding Season

Cape May

Cape May is a beach lovers paradise. Visitors can go wine tasting, parasailing, and golfing at the shore. With a daily tag of $6, a weekly tag of $6, and a seasonal tag starting at $20, beach goers can enjoy one of the most beautiful beaches in the country.

Published at 11:21 PM EST on Mar 2, 2017

Read more here:

Going to the Shore? A List of New Jersey Beaches with a Price Tag ... - NBC 10 Philadelphia

Clearwater Beach prepares for biggest spring break on record … – ABC Action News

CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. - Spring break 2017 is likely to see more people heading to Tampa Bay area beaches than ever.

And bay area students are expected to play a role.

Students attending the Hillsborough County and Pinellas County school districts and the University of South Florida all have the same week off for spring break this year.

It's the first time all the schools have been off conjointly in several years.

Clearwater leaders are increasing efforts to make sure your family stays safe on your beach visit.

The biggest change is to the main crosswalks along Clearwater Beach. There used to be four crosswalks around the island's main roundabout. Now there are two.

The city also added median fences to keep people from dashing across the street.

Clearwater police officers will be out issuing tickets to spring breakers who break the rules. Officers will enforce open container laws and give a stern warning to anyone who darts across the street.

With two less crosswalks, visitors will have to walk all the way around the islands main roundabout.Sam Muscatel was one of many tourists confused by the new design.

We were totally confused," Muscatel said. "It looked like you had to do a daredevil move to get across the street. I don't like having to walk all the way around."

The extra walk is meant to keep you safe and traffic moving.

There also are extra lifeguards keeping watch on the sand. Instead of the typical three towers, lifeguards now use six. The number of lifeguards also is expanded from six to 11 for spring break and the summer.

Businesses also are getting ready for a huge influx in visitors.

C.J. Bauer knows he wont have a second of downtime while he assembles umbrellas, chairs and shade tents for tourists.

The pickup during this time of year is crazy and we love it," Bauer said. "We are really busy and there is no time to stand around. There's no shortage of people to help."

Starting this weekend, you will notice extra police officers on Pinellas County beaches.

The busiest beach weekends is expected to be March 11-19, when for the first time in decades, thousands of local students will be on spring break at the same time.

----------------------------

STAY IN TOUCH WITH US ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.

Sign up for Breaking News email alerts.

WATCH | Latest ABC Action News Videos| WATCH | ABC Action News Live Stream

Follow us on Twitter

Follow @abcactionnews

Like us on Facebook

Read more:

Clearwater Beach prepares for biggest spring break on record ... - ABC Action News

Georgia-South Carolina Beaches | Columbia County Magazine

Whether youre looking for a day at the beach or a weeklong retreat, all kinds of summer fun are only a short drive away.

Head east or south from Augusta on almost any route and in about three hours you will find yourself pulling up to a beautiful beach. The challenge of vacationing or spending a day along the Georgia-South Carolina coast lies neither in getting there nor in finding a lovely spot to kick off your shoes and dig your toes in the sand. It lies in deciding which of the varied possibilities suits you best. Family fun, great golf, elegant resorts, history lessons, wildlife refuges and quiet retreats dot the coast in multiple shapes and sizes. Even if you have already discovered your destinations and activities of choice, a few changes along these shores just might be worth checking out.

Myrtle Beach

The iconic beachfront Pavilion Amusement Park is gone, but some of the pavilions classic rides, including the Herschell-Spillman Carousel, Wave Rider and the Caterpillar, were moved a couple of miles inland. They have taken up residence at the Pavilion Nostalgia Park at Broadway at the Beach, a shopping and entertainment complex. The historic German Baden Band Organ, five skill games from the old midway and a Pavilion Museum found a home there as well.

About six miles off the beach, where Hard Rock Park opened and closed in six months last year, the Freestyle Music Park continues to feature rock and roll. However, the park has expanded its reach to include country, reggae, beach music, pop, R&B, alternative, Christian and disco. The 55-acre theme park offers more than 50 attractions including roller coasters, shows, childrens play areas, restaurants, cafs and retail stores, a multi-purpose live music amphitheatre and an ultra-modern sound system. Only time will tell if this new park can replace the beloved pavilion as the site of vacationland memory making and draw the crowds it needs to survive. Owners hope a more family friendly atmosphere and better relationships with the Myrtle Beach community will prove the secrets of their success.

The beauty of Myrtle Beach itself and the generous array of places to stay remain unchanged. Resorts, hotels, motels and condos stretch densely back from the beach to offer accommodations to about 500,000 sun and fun seekers during the summer. The strip along Ocean Boulevard still offers its wax museum, museum of oddities and endless T-shirt and gift shops. The NASCAR Speed Park remains the place for speed demons young and old to test their skills on multiple tracks. More than 100 golf courses many with championship layouts await the golfer, and nightlife offers live music at places like Dolly Partons Dixie Stampede, Le Grande Cirque at the Palace Theater and the House of Blues. Great outlet shopping rounds out the areas offerings. (800) 356-3016; myrtlebeachinfo.com

North Myrtle Beach

This quieter northern neighbor offers a lower key alternative to Myrtle Beach. Condos, cottages and small motels are the primary accommodations, and nightlife leans toward well-weathered dance spots known for beach music and shagging. North Myrtle Beach Windy Hill, Crescent Beach, Cherry Grove, and Ocean Drive may be most like Myrtle Beach in its abundant golfing possibilities. Most of its 100-plus golf courses are open to the public. (877) 332-2662; northmyrtlebeachchamber.com

Surfside and Garden City Beach

Just south of Myrtle Beach, these getaways may be the best-kept secrets on Highway 17. Called the family beach, Surfside has an active residential community along with rental houses, hotels and condominiums that make it a thriving vacation destination as well. The Surfside Pier is a favorite fishing spot, boasting the likes of amber jack, bluefish, cobia, flounder, king mackerel, pompano, tarpon and whiting/southern kingfish species.

The 668-foot pier at Garden City Beach also offers fishing and a more family-oriented experience with a rain shelter and a variety of eateries and taverns in the ocean village. Worth finding is the Gulf Stream Caf, which stands at the end of a residential road. Sure to serve a delicious meal of fresh seafood and traditional cuisine, the two-story restaurant also promises the best view of the best sunsets youve ever seen over the Atlantic Ocean and Murrells Inlet. dunes.com

Murrells Inlet

Tucked along the winding shores of the Waccamaw Neck, this beach boasts a colorful, pirate-filled history. Todays boat captains offer fishing charters every day for those interested in reeling in a fresh meal. If thats not your style, this little fishing village has waterfront seafood markets and more than 30 restaurants. Two of the most highly recommended are Southern Supper, with a menu ranging from fresh seafood to Southern-fried favorites, and the Hot Fish Club, which has a new chef and management this year. This restaurant offers a great view, fresh seafood dishes and pork chops and steaks worthy of comment. Outback, the Gazebo at the Hot Fish Club, is one of the hottest spots in the area for live entertainment. (843) 357-2007; murrellsinletsc.com

Litchfield Beaches

Here you get to feel away from it all, but still have easy access to golf, shopping, bird watching, sightseeing and just about anything else that comes to mind. Wildlife sanctuaries border Litchfield on the north and south; the beautiful Brookgreen Gardens are just three miles away, and Myrtle Beach is a 15-minute drive away. Made up of Litchfield, North Litchfield and Litchfield by the Sea, the area spreads between the Waccamaw River and the ocean, offering oceanfront rooms, poolside condos and lovely homes with terraces on the marsh. Litchfield by the Sea has its own water park, and Litchfield Plantation offers the experience of waking up in an 18th-century manor house on the river. (888) 766-4633; litchfieldbeach.com

Pawleys Island

Although residents and regulars lovingly refer to the place as arrogantly shabby, this beach island has been home to the Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club for more than 20 years. The resort offers decidedly unshabby one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas that overlook the Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course and the surrounding wildlife refuge. Not to worry though. The laid-back atmosphere continues to thrive just down the road. Tucked into the dunes, the Pelican Inn, a nine-room bed and breakfast, and the Sea View Inn, a 20-room inn, still provide wonderful experiences wrapped in salty ocean breezes and the smell of southern cooking. There are also condominiums and homes to rent along this barrier island that is less than four miles long and mostly one house wide. Originally an 18th- and 19th-century retreat for wealthy rice growers, the island now draws people across the salt marsh for activities like crabbing in the local creeks and strolling barefoot along the shore. The islands main export hammocks, which were designed in the 1880s by an area riverboat captain offers all the insight required to understand the area mentality. (843) 273-4698; townofpawleysisland.com

Isle of Palms

After World War II, attorney J.C. Long developed this 7-mile-long, 1-mile-wide island as a place where service people could afford to buy homes and raise a family. Some of those original families and their descendents still live here, and the island maintains a wide range of accommodation and recreation options. Before you begin to explore, though, you may want to turn down J.C. Long Boulevard and find the Sea Biscuit Caf. Here you can mix with locals and visitors over great dishes like shrimp with gravy and crab-filled omelets. Later in the day you may also want to check out the burgers and crab cakes at Long Island Caf on Palm Boulevard. For a place to lay your head, the possibilities include small beachfront condos that rent by the night. Heading north, huge new houses, which were built to replace what Hurricane Hugo destroyed, line the public access beach. Wild Dunes Resort offers golf, tennis and 300-plus vacation rentals including the brand new Village at Wild Dunes and the family friendly Boardwalk Inn. The Inns beachfront pavilion has two pools, a food concession and a bar. Plus, it provides welcome cover from rain or heat. The surf is just right for wave jumping and body surfing, and the beautiful dunes invite late afternoon returns for kite flying. (888) 778-1876; wildddunes.com

Sullivans Island

Named for Captain Florence OSullivan, who was stationed at the islands lighthouse in the late 17th century, this island guards the entrance of Charleston Harbor. Its streets boast quintessential beach houses with screened porches, porch swings and ceiling fans. Ocean breezes keep bike riding pleasant almost all day for trips to the beach or down to Fort Moultrie to look back at 200 years of history that includes the first decisive defeat of the British in the Revolutionary War and the initial shots on Fort Sumter. In July the island also became the site of the first bench by the road to be placed and dedicated by the Toni Morrison Society, a non-profit group dedicated to examining the authors work. This project grew out of a comment she made that no memorial existed to commemorate slaves and their history Theres no 300-foot tower; theres no small bench by the road. This first bench of many to be placed at significant sites in black history, along with Morrisons novels that honor that history, gives all who visit a place to sit for reflection or discussion. Sullivans Island was chosen because it was the point of entry for more than 40 percent of the slaves who entered this country.

In March the Fort Moultrie Visitors Center unveiled its new African Passages exhibit that includes artifacts of the slave trade as well as haunting Middle Passage charcoal works of Thomas Feelings and the exuberant Gullah art of Jonathan Green. (843) 883-3198; sullivansislandsc.com; nps.gov/fosu/parknews/african-passages-museum-exhibit.htm

Bull Island

Just 16 miles north of Charleston, this retreat in the Cape Roman National Wildlife Refuge is utterly isolated and convenient to visit for a day of hiking and wildlife watching. Its 62,000 acres is the longest stretch of pristine wilderness and protected coastline on the East Coast. The 30-minute ferry ride from Garris Landing in Awendaw, S.C., takes you through the salt marsh home of dolphins, egrets, pelicans and herons. Sixteen miles of island trails include a mile-and-a-half hike to Boneyard Beach to see huge downed trees that have been bleached by sun and salt water to look like old bones. More than 20 species of reptiles, including alligators, inhabit the island, and more than 300 species of birds have been seen there. (843) 928-3368; coastalexpeditions.com/ferry.htm

Folly Beach

Just 15 minutes southeast of Charleston, this hang-10 haven boasts some of the best surfing on the East Coast. Because the island is just 6.5- by-2 miles (at its widest point), surfers can get to the beach quickly whenever one of the many surf cam Web sites shows the time is right. George and Ira Gershwin spent the summer of 1934 here while they collaborated with Dubose Heyward, Charleston native and author of Porgy, on the folk opera, Porgy and Bess. The Gullahs on adjacent James Island became the prototypes for the operas Catfish Row residents. Homes and condos populate most of Folly Beach, but there is an oceanfront Holiday Inn, called Charleston on the Beach. follysurfcam.com; cityoffollybeach.com

Seabrook Island

This private beachfront community offers peaceful seclusion in a natural environment and a welcoming neighborhood. Although the 2,200-acre resort includes horseback riding, tennis, golf, a deepwater marina and a world-class fitness center, it also is committed to protecting the environment. The golf course was South Carolinas first Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, and the distinctive lowcountry homes are nestled among giant oaks. There are also villas and cottages along the ocean, lake and marina. (843) 768-9192; discoverseabrook.com

Kiawah Island

With its 10-mile stretch of beach, this getaway is paradise for anyone seeking luxurious waterfront accommodations and relaxing outdoor activities. But it is sheer heaven for golfers. Kiawahs Ocean Course was made famous by the dramatic 1991 Ryder Cup, which became known as the War by the Shore. The course has been ranked 25th on Golf Digests 100 best courses list and 4th on the Best Public Courses list. Fittingly named, the course has 10 holes along the Atlantic while the other eight run parallel to the ocean. The course, the setting for the 2000 movie The Legend of Bagger Vance, will be the site of the 2012 PGA Championship. Four other courses Turtle Point, Osprey Point, Oak Point and Cougar Point also offer satisfying challenges in beautiful settings for golfers of all abilities. (888) 559-9024; Kiawahisland.com

Edisto Island

With its rich, fertile soil, this island was once home to cotton and indigo planters who enjoyed great wealth and built majestic plantation homes and churches before the Civil War. The cotton fields now grow vegetables and melons, but the beautiful old homes still stand as historic sites framed by old oak trees hung with Spanish moss. Islanders proudly describe Edisto as old, shabby, chic and enjoy a relaxed beach lifestyle in the stately atmosphere of earlier days. Vacation accommodations include rental houses, townhouses, resorts and multiple hotels. Edisto State Park offers marsh-side cabins and limited oceanfront camping. The park also offers the regions best shelling on public property. edistobeach.com

Harbor Island

The only way onto this 1,400-acre barrier island is with a reservation in one of the private rental homes, condominiums or villas. The island, part of the 350,000-acre ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve, sits on the edge of the biologically rich St. Helena marina. As a result, a day spent on the islands two-and-a-half-miles of hard-packed sandy beaches can include sightings of dolphins, pelicans, egrets, and herons in the rookeries just off the beach. HarborIsland-sc.com

Hunting Island State Park

Just 18 miles southeast of Beaufort, this getaway works as an easy day trip from the Augusta area. Arrive in Beaufort for lunch and a short tour to check out local movie settings including Tindalholm, the house where The Prince of Tides and The Big Chill were filmed. Ride out to the park also the site of movies such as Forrest Gump and GI Jane to walk on the beach, check out the lighthouse and enjoy the marsh boardwalk. Then either spend a little more time on the beach, fish off the pier or hike in the maritime forest before you head home. Cabins and campsites also are available for overnight stays. Huntingisland.com.

Fripp Island

This secluded island, once was a favorite hiding place for 17th-century pirates, is an appealing vacation escape. One of those pirates, Captain Johannes Fripp, was called on by Englands King Charles to protect the British settlement at Beaufort. He served the crown well enough to receive the deed to the island that now bears his name as compensation. Rumors abound that pirates treasures are still buried on the island, but the obvious treasure of the place is its natural beauty and relaxed pace. Golf carts are the favorite mode of transportation. Recreation includes crabbing, tennis and three oceanfront golf courses. The entire island has been designated a wildlife sanctuary, so deer roam freely and bird watching is a rewarding activity. The community also is committed to protecting its loggerhead sea turtle population, and nature education programs, including Camp Fripp for kids, are offered. Fripp is a private resort, so only a reservation will get you through the gate. Accommodations include rental homes, villas and efficiencies. Frippvacation.com.

Hilton Head Island

The 55-square-mile, boot-shaped island boasts a history as lively as its main thoroughfare. Before English Captain William Hilton discovered the island in 1663, it had been inhabited seasonally by Woodland Indians thousands of years before and by the Spanish in the 1500s. The island, which has a storied military history, began its incarnation as a resort destination in 1957 when Sea Pines Plantation was founded on 5,000 acres at the southern tip of the island.

From the start, Sea Pines established the plantation model for development and set the standard of preserving the natural environment as the island grew. Oceanfront buildings could be no taller than the surrounding oak trees, and they had to sit back from the shore and blend into the environment as much as possible. Housing options at the resort include large beachfront homes, modest villas and the 60-room Inn at Harbour Town. Sea Pines boasts multiple golf courses, tennis complexes, restaurants and shopping. Horseback riding through 600 acres of forest is also available. In Sea Pines and beyond the requirement for subtle signage and the prohibition of neon signs continue the commitment to preserving the areas natural beauty.

About ten plantation-style resorts cover much of the island. They include Palmetto Dunes and Shipyard, which offer oceanfront hotels, villas and homes, plus their own restaurants, and golf and tennis facilities. Disney even has a family resort in Shelter Cove Harbour. Checking in at any of the large resorts can mean parking the car for the length of the stay. There are also freestanding villas and hotels such as Sea Crest Villas, Beachwalk Hotel and the Holiday Inn Hilton Head Island (Oceanfront). Exceptional shopping is available as well for those who do not mind braving the traffic that has come with the islands growth. Possibilities include the beachfront Coligny Plaza, Mall at Shelter Cove, Pineland Station, Tanger Outlets and high-end boutiques at Harbour Town and South Beach. More than 2.5 million visitors make their way to the island annually, but its size and careful development mean it can still offer a restful retreat. 800-523-3373; hiltonheadisland.org.

Daufuskie Island

Take a short ferry ride across Calabogue Sound from Hilton Head to retreat to the quieter setting for Pat Conroys book The Water is Wide, which was made into the movie Conrak. Descendants of former slaves live on small farms, and tours of former slave quarters, a 200-year-old cemetery and a local winery are available. The Daufuskie Island Resort and Spa closed in March of this year. The facility has plans, but no definite date, to reopen (check daufuskiemagic.com for updates), so the only accommodations on the island for now are private home rentals. Daufuskieislandrentals.com

Tybee Island

The scheduled filming of Miley Cyrus next film, The Last Song, from mid-June through August on the island and in Savannah might disrupt the laidback atmosphere this summer. However, hosting celebrities is nothing new for Tybee Sandra Bullock and John Mellencamp have homes there and movies have been set throughout the area. Still, island residents and regular visitors expect a higher shriek factor this summer as they anticipate teenage fans to descend on Tybee to catch a glimpse of Cyrus. For those more interested in relaxation, the islands three miles of beach were refurbished during the off-season with 1.2 million yards of sand. Kayak and boat tours offer a close-up view of bottlenose dolphins and other area wildlife. Fort Pulaski and the Tybee Island Museum and Light Station provide fun diversions as well. Accommodations include beachfront hotels, condos and rental cottages, some in restored historic homes. Tybeeisland.com

Sapelo Island

Multiple layers of natural and human history cover this 16,000-acre retreat, Georgias fourth largest barrier island, which is 60 miles south of Savannah. The ferry ride from Meridian requires proof of a reservation for an island tour, a campsite or one of the islands few lodgings. On the boat, you could find yourself with a dolphin escort, and once you arrive, the island features a wealth of Geechee (Georgias sea island equivalent to Gullah) culture and marsh-fed wildlife to explore. Reynolds Mansion provides a beautiful setting for group events, and the Wallow Guest House, located in the Hog Hammock Community made up of descendants of Spalding plantation slaves, includes individual rooms. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources offers an artist-in-residence program. The Sapelo Island Visitors Center of Meridian has exhibits about the island and sells tickets for round-trip ferry rides and an island bus tour. Sapelonerr.org.

Little St. Simons

Privately owned and accessible only by a 15-minute boat ride from St. Simons, this serene escape beckons those who want to reconnect with nature, friends and family. Ten thousand acres of untouched tidal creeks, marsh, forest and beach await. The Lodge houses only 30 guests with a package that includes three family-style meals a day, drinks at cocktail hour and equipment for activities such as horseback riding and fly-fishing. Three naturalists on staff give nature talks and tours about the abundant wildlife on the untouched island. Day trips are available by reservation only. They run from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and start with a ferry ride from Hampton River Club Marina. They include an island tour, a lunch of lowcountry specialties and an afternoon on the beach. (912) 638-7472; littlestsimonsisland.com

St. Simons Island

Start your visit here with a trip to Pier Village and a climb up the 129 steps to the top of St. Simons Lighthouse. Youll enjoy a view of the coast down to Cumberland Island and have a chance to soak in the warm, calming ocean air that defines the atmosphere on this barrier island. A playground on the ocean by the village pier allows children of all ages to swing to the rhythm of the surf. From the pier you can wander up Mallory Street and shop for island wear, lowcountry art, antiques and more. A trolley tour provides an overview of the islands historic sites, including Christ Church and Fort Frederica, and kayaking tours explore the marsh creeks. The island is also home to a wealth of Gullah/Geechee culture, which will be celebrated June 19-21 at Pier Village in the Annual Original Georgia Sea Island Festival. Accommodations include the oceanfront King and Prince, which opened in 1935 as a dance club and still boasts a vibrant atmosphere, and the Sea Palms Golf and Tennis Resort, which is set on the marsh with access to the ocean through St. Simons Beach Club. There is a range of other vacation rentals, plus a Holiday Inn Express that rents bikes for the two-mile trip to the beach. The firm, sandy beaches offer good surf at high tide and flat stretches up to 100 feet wide at low tide. stsimonsguide.com

Sea Island

Owned by the same family for four generations, this resort has resisted commercialization and offers a secluded, magnolia-covered experience at the Cloister, which offers a variety of ways to absorb the islands beachfront beauty and Southern charm. The resort is luxurious, elegant and family friendly. Everyone dresses for dinner, but the Cloister also has a legendary childrens program and offers Bingo on Tuesday and Thursday nights. The main hotel has the feel of an Old World Mediterranean-style mansion with marble floors, stucco archways, arched windows and intricate plasterwork. Guest rooms include hardwood floors, wood-beamed ceilings, 500-thread count sheets and 45-inch LCD high definition televisions. There are also Beach Club rooms and suites as well as oceanfront villas with private pool and beach access.

The new Sea Island Beach Club offers sailing schools and kayak clinics along with three new pools and cabanas and umbrellas for soaking up the islands pristine private beach. The new spa and fitness center has already received Mobile 5-star accolades and offers individual services or a full-day retreat. The Cloister also offers a shooting school and multiple championship golf courses. The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club offers a more golf-centered, 5-star experience. This years economic challenges have led to some layoffs at the Cloister, which means the staff will have to deliver its legendary service with fewer helping hands. In addition to the resort accommodations, about one-third of Sea Islands 500 private homes, traditionally called cottages, are available for rent through the Cloister. They range in size from three to nine bedrooms and afford guests membership at the Sea Island Club during their stay. 888-732-4752; seaisland.com

Jekyll Island

The only self-sustaining state park in Georgia, this island is in the midst of a multi-year, multi-faceted revitalization project to spruce up as a vacation and convention destination. The island will maintain its long-term commitments to leaving 65 percent of the island undeveloped and to providing beach vacations to budget-minded travelers.

The Jekyll Oceanfront Resort became the first of the revitalization projects to open in November 2008. It offers one- to three-bedroom units in two-story buildings on a 10-acre property. Also new on the island is The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, which offers evening turtle walks in June and July and morning hatchling walks in August and September. In addition, the center offers Arribada Adventures, a family-based program for those who want to learn about the life histories of sea and other turtles.

Jekyll also boasts the newly dedicated memorial to the Wanderer, the last known slave ship to come to land in Georgia and the last slaving expedition known to have reached the United States without repercussions. The Wanderer exhibit can be seen at St. Andrews Picnic Area on the south end of the island. Also well worth a visit is Millionaires Village, which from 1886 to 1947 was a winter hunting resort for the likes of J.P. Morgan, Everett Macy, Joseph Pulitzer, William Rockefeller and Cornelius Vanderbilt. The Great Depression and World War II led these wealthy families to abandon their coastal Georgia retreats. Some of those homes have been restored and preserved and are open for touring. Two cottages have also been renovated and serve as guest rooms of the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, a distinctive Victorian-style resort that was built originally as a club for the islands wealthy visitors. This fall the Jekyll Island Club will expand its offerings to include the oceanfront Hampton Inn and Suites, which is part of the revitalization plan and under construction on the previous Holiday Inn and Suites site. Later developments will include redeveloped shopping and entertainment areas along the beach. Jekyll has golf and other recreational options as well. Jekyllisland.com

Cumberland Island

Georgias southernmost barrier island is the place to see wild horses roaming the beaches and to camp along the seashore in one of five National Wilderness sites. Guests also can enjoy a more elegant retreat at the distinctive Greyfield Inn. Once the site of several lavish homes built by Thomas Carnegie, brother of Andrew, Cumberland Island is now a vital, secluded wildlife sanctuary with limited overnight accommodations. The island offers ranger-guided tours and daily craft activities for children. It is also possible to take in the island on your own by enjoying the solitude and sanctuary of the marshes, dunes, ponds, beaches, forest and lakes. Other island wildlife includes sea turtles, otters, blue herons, snowy egrets and wood storks.

The island also has a few historic sites to visit, including the Dungeness Ruins, the Plum Orchard Mansion and the First African Baptist Church in the Settlement. Greyfield Inn, which is the only remaining home from the Carnegie estate, has only 16 rooms, but non-guests can also dine there. Any visit to the island begins with a 45-minute ride from St. Marys, Ga., on the Cumberland Queen ferry, which requires reservations that can be made as much as six months in advance. The heaviest ferry bookings are in the summer months. (904) 261-6408; nps.gov/cuis; greyfieldinn.com

By Carole C. Lee Illustrations by Jason Crosby

.

See the original post:

Georgia-South Carolina Beaches | Columbia County Magazine

Photo tour: The best beaches in Texas – USA TODAY

USA TODAY 7:46 a.m. ET March 2, 2017

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

The 10.4-mile Seawall claims to be the worlds longest continuous sidewalk and is often packed with joggers, bicyclists, skaters and those who love to walk along the shoreline without sand crunching between their toes.(Photo: Galveston CVB)

Texas is known for a lot of things cowboys, barbecue and football, just to name a few but its 600 miles of sparkling coastline are often overlooked. That's a shame, because the Gulf Coast has a lot to offer its visitors. Birdwatchers and nature lovers flock to Galveston Island,a haven for migratory birds and wildlife such as raccoons, marsh rabbits and lumbering armadillos. The bar scene of South Padre Island draws the spring break crowd without fail, and active types will like that the beach there is prime for kiteboarders, windsurfers, parasailers and jet skiers. Families love walking along the Seawall for a visit to the Texas State Aquarium. Whether you're a beachcomber, birdwatcher, spring breaker or adventurer, everything's bigger in Texas.

Experience Galveston Island

With 32 miles of smooth-sand shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico, Galveston Island's beaches range from bustling summertime hotspots to secluded stretches off the beaten path featuring picnic areas, campsites and hiking trails. About an hour's drive from Houston, Galveston is a quick escape for city dwellers, who are lured not only by the island's beaches, but also by its assortment of restaurants and classic fish houses, resort hotels, antique stores, museums, downtown shopping and quiet neighborhoods dotted with Victorian homes.

Destruction from the Great Storm of 1900 led to the building of Galveston's protective and signature beachfront structure the 10.4-mile Seawall. It's claimed to be the world's longest continuous sidewalk and is often packed with joggers, bicyclists, skaters and those who love to walk along the shoreline without sand crunching between their toes.

On Galveston's eastern edge, adults flock to East Beach with its beach parties, festivals, live bands and even an annual sand castle competition. Nearby Stewart Beach is a good choice for families, hosting activities such as volleyball tournaments.

Experience North Padre Island

North Padre Island's popular Gulf of Mexico beaches on the barrier islands protecting the scenic shorefronts of Corpus Christi extend from the sandy shores of Port Aransas southward to the undisturbed dunes and grasslands of Padre Island National Seashore. This stretch is said to be the world's longest area of undeveloped barrier island beachfront. The fine-sand beaches are an added draw for visitors flocking to Corpus Christi's world-class attractions the Texas State Aquarium, the aircraft carrier USS Lexington Museum, and the Museum of Science and History with the replica ships of Christopher Columbus. The area is also a haven for nature lovers and birdwatchers, as South Texas is a key stopping point for spring and fall migrations.

On the upper coast, Mustang Island State Park features 5 miles of shoreline adjacent to campgrounds with utility hookups and shower/restroom facilities. Teens and young adults flock to North Packery Beach with its volleyball courts and barbecues. It's also a hotspot for surfers, windsurfers and kiteboarding. South Packery Beach is more family-friendly and less crowded.

To the south is the 1-mile-long Seawall along Michael Ellis Beach, popular with shortboarders, while Padre Balli Park with Bob Hall Pier is more family-oriented. Amenities include campsites with cabanas and a bath house, while the pier is popular for fishing. White Cap Beach and Natural Beach are less crowded, with the latter more secluded and ideal for nature watching. At the southern edge is Padre Island National Seashore, with more than 130,000 acres of undeveloped grasslands skirting natural sandy beaches.

Experience South Padre Island

Some of Texas' most popular white-sand beaches and clearest surf thrill visitors who make it all the way down to South Padre Island, one of the nation's southernmost tourist draws. This barrier island is particularly well known for its young spring break crowds peaking in March, but the emerald- and aquamarine-hued beach waters also lure families and RVers year-round, particularly "snow bird" retirees in winter. Thirty-four miles long and a half-mile wide along the Gulf of Mexico, South Padre Island is a key destination for birders who flock to see herons, egrets and yellow-billed loons, to name a few of the area's more than 300 bird species during spring and fall migrations.

Most of South Padre's hotels, resorts, restaurants and lively bars lie within the city limits a crisscross of streets ringed by beaches on the gulf side and by wetlands along Laguna Madre Bay. City beach access is off Gulf Boulevard, with small parking lots accommodating 10 to 20 vehicles at most of the 25 or so access streets.

In January and February, events kick up for the so-called "Winter Texans" mostly retirees and seniors who escape colder northern climates. They stay in hotels, resorts and condos, and area beaches and parks offer hundreds of RV hookup spots for those traveling in motorhomes. Activities catering to this group include festivals, concerts, plays and more.

See more of the USA's best beaches:

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2lCKlWT

See original here:

Photo tour: The best beaches in Texas - USA TODAY