The Problems of Sandy Beach and Graeme Hall Swamp. Recommendations of The Barbados Marine Trust.
	Introduction Barbados has for some time now been examining new tourism products for Barbados. One of those products is Eco-tourism. Monumental efforts are currently being made by organizations such as the Barbados Marine Trust and the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary & the BHTA to improve existing conditions in Barbados to enable us to compete in this market.
It has however come to our attention that beach conditions in the Worthing area (Sandy beach), and conditions in the Graeme Hall swamp have been allowed to deteriorate to an unacceptable level over the years, to the extent that if left unchecked, may become a National ecological embarrassment.

Over the last two to three, decades changes have been occurring to the southern coastal zone. A wide variety of groins, breakwaters, submerged breakwaters and other modifications to the original coastline, were undertaken. Some of these structures while generating property specific protective benefits have impacted the distribution and long shore transport of biogenous sand in localized areas along that coast. This has certainly been the case at Sandy Beach at Worthing as the beach has widened so significantly,

that it now severely threatens the continued viability of nearshore sea-grass beds and the inshore reef system. Sandy Beach has accreted to such an extent the connection between the drainage channel (connecting the sea to the swamp) is severed, by the sheer distance. Generally only one way flow (from the swamp into the sea) is now maintained through temporary periodic mechanical channel cutting efforts through the beach. The British High Commission has granted the BMT the Bds 20,000 required for Phase 1 of the study. The study will seek to better understand the phenomenon occurring at the beach, to develop a strategic plan to deal with the impacts."

•	A "plug" (blockage) has developed the western end of Sandy Beach, to the west and adjacent of the Coral Sands Resort complex. The plug has been formed by a spit of sand, that has extended from the shore to the inshore reef (which comes closest to the shoreline at this point). Sand moving alongshore inside or landwards of the inshore reef from east to west is now trapped and is depositing rapidly within the lagoon and growing the beach. This plug must be removed immediately in order to allow the free flow of water and sand. (See the aerial photo above)
•	This effect has probably also been caused in part, by the groin at St Lawrence West Hotel, which has slowed down the movement of water westward and has encouraged easier deposition of sand in the lagoon area due to the calming effect.
•	The smaller beach -Little Bay (between Pisces Restaurant and the Little Bay Hotel)- has also accreted significantly as a result of the coastal oceanographic conditions that are being experienced. The swamp water from behind the After Dark down to South Winds hotel now forms a pool of stagnant water on the beach instead of flowing freely to the sea.
•	So much siltation has occurred within the lagoon that many of the boats which once used the area, can no longer moor there.

	•	Since the mangrove habitat has been cut off from the sea, for some time, it has degraded significantly. The water quality in the Nature Sanctuary is poor and has become home to species of fish which are more tolerant of oxygen-depleted water, and which, even if they were allowed access to the reef, would never survive.
Equally juveniles which spawned on the reef and would normally use the mangrove as a nursery before re-migrating to the reef, would never survive in such oxygen depleted conditions. and are now not afforded the opportunity of nutrition and protection typically offered in a mangrove.

•	The road which was originally built to access a canfield, has been widened. The road surface has also been elevated and works have been undertaken with beach sand. Beach sand from the road, is leaching into the main drainage channel from the swamp to the sea further diminishing its functional holding capacity. This road has further segmented the Mangrove habitat, into the westerly side, which is owned by the Nature Sanctuary, and the eastern side consisting of 40 acres owned by the Barbados Government. The road is being constructed by the Drainage Unit of the Ministry of Public Works, reportedly for the purpose of assisting them with improved access to undertake storm-water drainage improvement works.
•	The eastern side has significant water quality problems which have been compounded by the fact that the runoff from the Ministry of Agriculture's station runs into this eastern area of the mangrove. The water is particularly high in nutrients and if allowed to flow unchecked into the western side will negative impact on the quality of water in the Nature Sanctuary.
•	If on the other hand the water is not allowed to flow, the eastern mangrove (which is only about 20 years old ) will continue to stagnate, and will therefore become an environmental embarrassment.

•	This eastern area is now effectively a new mangrove, which is in itself a rare occurrence, and deserves and to be protected properly. It is notable that mangrove habitat is home to the endangered Yellow Warbler.
•	It must also be recognized that one area of land which is particularly affected by this situation, is that of a resident of the area Mrs. Burke who lives at the entrance to the track.
	This is one of the problems that the Drainage Unit is currently attempting to address. Her back yard is now part of the mangrove and because it lies at the lowest point of the area it is constantly flooded.

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The management of the Nature Sanctuary has indicated their interest in leasing the 40 acres of Government land on the Eastern side, but wish to do so unencumbered. They are fully cognizant of the fact that the water quality on that side is inferior even to that of the Nature Sanctuary and if channels are opened their water quality will deteriorate to an unacceptable level. It is even expected that water quality level will deteriorate to a level which may drop below legal limits, thus putting them in a position where they may be charged under the laws of Barbados for Water quality below an acceptable level!!

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The nature sanctuary is also paying at commercial rates for water quality tests, undertaken by Government Laboratories, in order to satisfy the Barbados Government that their water quality is of an acceptable standard. There is a need for some financial relief in this area.

This pipe under road too small and too dark to allow the passage of many types of marine life.	Result of no flushing is a dissolved oxygen level too low to support larger fish. This picture was taken next to the road construction within the swamp by Dr. Lee Harris of the Florida Institute of Technology.