Oyster Harbor Citizens Association ~~~ Annapolis, Maryland ~~~ Committee Report: Beach

Our Association

Committee Report: Beach

March 2010 – Beach Committee Committee Report for 2009
Committee Chairperson: Dan Craig

OHCA's community beach saw record use in 2009, both for scheduled events (utilizing our online reservation system at http://www.oysterharbor.org), and for casual swimming/family activities. We also had several successful musical and social events on the beach sponsored by OHCA's Recreation Committee -- many thanks to Yvonne Jaicks, Patty Jenkins, and other volunteers who made these community gatherings possible.

The fishing pier enjoyed moderate use this year, and the number of interlopers from outside OHCA was way down in 2009 thanks to the efforts of the Security and Compliance Committees. A special shout-out goes to Linda Nivens-Epps, who has spearheaded several security projects over the past few years and who succeeded in getting additional street lighting installed in our community. Last summer we had only one private party spin out of control at the beach (with 200+ people) -- please remember that OHCA's beach facilities are designed for family events, most of them in the 25-50 person range. Any large celebrations -- if approved -- require private security, parking arrangements, traffic controls, and the ability to monitor the behavior of all guests. Please contact OHCA's President, the Board Chair, the Chair of the Compliance Committee, or the Chairman of the Beach Committee for assistance in planning any events involving more than 50 people.

For newcomers to Oyster Harbor -- and we had several in 2009 -- welcome to the beach! Please note that:

This beach and adjacent fishing pier are private facilities for use by Oyster Harbor residents and their guests only. They are owned by the Oyster Harbor Citizens Association (OHCA) and are not open to the general public. If you fish
from the pier, please be prepared to show the police or OHCA’s officers your beach key or a picture ID to verify residence. Guests must be accompanied by an OHCA resident at all times.
The beach is currently open to residents 24/7, but please use common sense regarding noise, the nature of your activities, and the privacy of your neighbors. Keys to the beach gate are issued to all residents by the Association Manager (Claire Dillon, 410 280-8999 or manager@oysterharbor.org.)
Use of the beach and fishing pier by OHCA residents is non-exclusive: All residents have access to the beach and fishing pier at all times, and exclusive use of the beach for parties or private functions is not permitted. However, if you wish to reserve the community’s picnic facilities (tables, grills, gazebos, and power outlets) for a private party, you may do so on a first-come, first-served basis by filling out a OHCA Beach Reservation Form online or contacting a member of the beach committee.
Life guards: THERE ARE NONE. Swimming is at your own risk, so please exercise caution and common sense when entering the water. Infants, toddlers, and small children should be under direct adult supervision at all times -- not left in the care of an 8 or 10 year old sibling.
A more complete list of beach rules is posted on the bulletin board by the beach gate and on Oyster Harbor's website. OHCA's Board is looking into the possible promulgation of more formal procedures for reserving beach facilities for private functions -- especially large ones -- and welcomes any and all community input.

For 2009, specific beach issues included:

Alcohol: In 2009 the OHCA board formally changed the policy of "no alcohol" on the beach to allow private supplies to be brought onto the
beach and consumed by adults. Liquor may never be sold to others or provided to minors; please recycle your empties or carry them back home.

Gazebos: the southern one near the gate -- which has electrical service -- was badly damaged by the Shore Drive fire of December 7, 2008, and was completely rebuilt in 2009. We also reroofed and restored the second gazebo by the BBQs and playground equipment (it does not have power).

Jellyfish nets: surrounding the swim area have reached the end of their short, storm-tossed lives and will be replaced in 2010. The next generation will hopefully have sturdier float lines and not hang all the way to the bottom, where the sink lines tend to get buried in the sand and pull the float line under water. Please remember to keep your children away from the pilings from which the nets are hanging: they abound with splinters, sharp objects, and other hazards. OHCA removed a submerged log two years ago from the swimming area that was foot-unfriendly, but rocks remain around the base of the pilings to the left and right of the swim area. Port-a-Potty: will return outside the beach gate for the 2010 season (May through October).

Keys: If you need a key to the beach gate (or keys to the boat ramp on Washington Drive or the pier at Fishing Creek), please contact OHCA's manager. Duplicates or replacements for lost keys will incur a small fee.

Flags: Our U.S. flag at the beach entrance flies 24/7. We had to replace it three times this year because of unusually frequent gale-force winds: if you see that the flag is torn, please report it to the chairman of the beach committee, who has replacements in stock. If there are days when the flag should be flying at half-mast and it is not, please call the chairman of the beach committee or, if you are handy with lines and cleats, feel free to lower it yourself.

Bulletin Board: OHCA's board commissioned the construction of a covered bulletin board (which matches the gazebos) at the entrance to the beach. Please contact the community manager, any board member, or the chairman of the beach committee if you would like to post information.

Stone retaining wall along Shore Drive: has been repeatedly damaged by construction vehicles and will be repaired in 2010. The board is also planning an extension of the existing stone wall to the south of the beach gate along Shore Drive to help keep sand off the road and give the community beach a uniform appearance." Parking: If you drive to the beach, please display your OHCA decal at all times and park along the apron on the east side of Shore Drive. Avoid the north end of Shore, which is still a construction zone, and do not park on the stone swales or the private lot at the intersection of Shore and Washington. Please contact OHCA's community manager if you need more decals.
Beach Erosion: Sand from the dredging two years ago is moving south and filling in the beach around the northernmost breakwater. However, the sand continues to erode away from -- and through -- the fishing pier. We also have a problem with failing bulkheads (the most recent repairs date from 1991): the deteriorating boards along OHCA's channel are allowing soil to seep back into the water, causing sinkholes on the land side of the bulkheads and filling our channel back up just after we dredged it. OHCA's Board is looking into maintenance dredging and replacements for the bulkheads along the north and south sides of the channel -- a very expensive but unavoidable proposition (bulkhead replacement is built into our budget for 2010-2011). The switch grass which Anne MacLeod planted three years ago along the metal fence surrounding the community beach has taken root nicely and has been very effective in curbing wind erosion/blowing sand on Shore Drive.

STORM UPDATE 1-26-10: The extreme tides, high wind, and breakers out of the southeast during the storm of January 24-25 moved several cubic yards of sand by the fishing pier and caused massive erosion along the northern stretch of OHCA's beach (the shoreline moved back 6-8 feet and the beach seems to have lost about a third of its volume. Right after we dredged the channel and replenished the beach 3 years ago, the sand alongside the fishing pier extended several feet past the dogleg and covered all the deadmen. Over the course of the past 2 years -- before the storm -- the shoreline receded, exposing 4 of the deadmen. After this week's storm, 7 deadmen are now exposed, and the waterline has moved a total of 15+ feet closer to the fishing pier's stairs. Much of the sand has moved south or gone straight out into the Bay toward the rip-rap breakwaters. Some has drained through the fishing pier and into the channel. Worse, there is now a huge pile of sand up against the base of the fishing pier where a sink hole used to be: several more cubic yards of sand may now migrate through the boards into OHCA's channel.

Water Quality: OHCA continues to participate in two programs to measure water quality at our beach between Memorial Day and Labor Day: the first is Operation Clearwater, which is run by Anne Arundel Community College (they sample shallow water along the shoreline). The second program is run by Anne Arundel County's Department of Health, which samples water three feet deep offshore. Results are posted on the County's web site (http://www.aahealth.org/wqleadin.asp) and the Operation Clearwater website (http://ola4.aacc.edu/sghornor). Data are also extracted and posted on the bulletin board at the beach entrance.

Canada Geese: were a problem last summer for two weeks in June (when they molt and cannot fly), giving us temporary high bacteria counts along the shoreline (however, the deeper water tested by the Health Department proved fine all summer long). Please remember that Canada Geese are a nuisance and should be chased off the beach (but not harmed) lest they foul the sand and water with their feces. Pursuing them into the water out to the rip-rap breakwaters is particularly effective: they tend not to return to the same beach after close encounters of this kind. The floating geese lights used in 2008 and 2009 proved ineffective, eventually malfunctioned, and will not be replaced.

Phragmites: the small stand of phragmites at the top end of the beach went wild with all of the wet weather this year and colonized the waterfront alongside the fishing pier, threatening to turn the northern part of OHCA's beach into a marsh. After spending two days digging up the invasive reeds up by hand this fall, we had OHCA's landscaping crew finish the job. In 2010, we will keep closer watch on the rhizomes which help phragmites colonize neighboring ground -- especially sand and disturbed soil. At present we intend to keep the phragmites that is growing along the southern edge of the channel: it helps stabilize the sand and stop both wind and water erosion (which were major problems during Tropical Storm Ernesto in 2006, when all the phragmites had been cut down).

Please call the chairman of the beach committee if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Volunteers and suggestions are welcome at any time, and please enjoy our community beach in 2010.

Dan Craig, Chairman, OHCA Beach Committee
3301 Shore Drive, 410-268-7929
dan.nmn.craig@gmail.com

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March 2009 – After a competitive bid, the Oyster Harbor board voted in mid-March to approve a contract to have both gazebos rebuilt, repainted, and re-roofed following the fire this winter. Work should be completed by early April and electrical service will be reestablished to the gazebo nearest the gate so that we can continue to have music, lights, and festivities on the beach this summer.

The jellyfish nets will be repaired and restrung this spring in anticipation of the summer swimming season, and the port-a-potty will return outside the main gate from May 4 through October 30. Don't forget to put your OHCA sticker in your car window if you park along Shore Drive.

The Board has asked a pier specialist to submit a bid for repairing cracks in the bulkhead and fishing pier that are allowing sand to seep back into the channel. The work will likely involve digging out soil on the inside of the bulkhead and inserting either filter cloth or plywood to prevent further erosion.

Two new goose lights should be delivered this spring and will be installed between the beach and rip-rap breakwaters. Please do NOT play with them while swimming: they recharge their batteries during the day and flash at night to keep the geese from sleeping in our swimming area. If you do see geese on the beach during the day or evening, please chase them away (gently -- they are protected by federal law and you may not harm them, but you may make them feel unwelcome). We had a problem last year with geese feces contaminating the shallow water along the waterline where our toddlers play. The deeper water (3 feet) tested fine all summer and the county did not issue any alerts, but the readings taken by Anne Arundel Community College in the surf line were off the charts for several weeks, so we don't want geese camping out on the beach.

Following the fire in December 2008 that nearly trapped the residents of 3305 Shore Drive in their home (the only way they could escape in their truck was to drive through the metal fence on the beach), and at the recommendation of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, the OHCA Board voted in December to take down the fence between the houses along the eastern side of Shore Drive and the community beach. Panels taken from this fence were used to repair the sections of fence between 3305 Shore Drive and the playground that were cut down by fire fighters.

That repaired fence, along with the fence and gates along Shore Drive itself, will remain in place. A new post and rope barrier will be strung between the houses on the eastern side of Shore and the community beach to demarcate the boundary between OHCA property and private property. Please remind guests to access the beach and fishing pier through the gate at Washington and Shore, not by cutting through people's yards.

The beach is open year-round to all residents, but the facilities (BBQs, gazebos, picnic tables, etc.) may be reserved by going to the OHCA website www.oysterharbor.org/rules.html and filling out the online form. Our webmaster will then post your date on our website's community calendar so that people can avoid conflicts for large family gatherings and parties. The webmaster's direct email address is webmaster@oysterharbor.org. Please remember that other residents may continue to use the beach and fishing pier during your event, but you will have first claim to the equipment if you make advance reservations.

Please contact Dan Craig, Chairman of the Beach Committee (3301 Shore Drive, 410-268-7929), if you have any questions or comments. Dan is also the person to contact if you wish to serve on the Beach Committee.