1995-present Photos from 1984 illustrate the condition of the western beaches at that time, in Sea Gate and west of Steeplechase Pier, illustrating the need for additional fill. It is a fact that we do designs based on very little information, and often must extrapolate from a beach that is in an eroded condition to a sand-rich condition. It is only after fill is placed that certain phenomena surface. In the case of Coney Island a number of interesting observations have surfaced in the three yrs since fill placement. First and foremost, performance of fill in the project area is very good.
Beach use is also way up, since construction.
The expected hot spot, the shoreline downdrift of the terminal groin, is indeed a rapidly eroding area. Within the Sea Gate compartment, there is a hotter hot spot, immediately adjacent to the groin, likely due to Mach-Stem waves running along the groin. The third major observation is an unanticipated buildup of sand on the northern shore of Sea Gate along Gravesend Bay. Macro features appear stable. There has been no measured movement of either the Coney Island Channel position, or the East Bank Shoal.