Evaluation of environmental quality on beaches intervened with spits

Abstract

The implementation of groynes or hard structural techniques as a plan to stabilize the coastline against the erosion effects has been a frequent action used to mitigate this problem on the Colombian Caribbean’s coasts. On the beach of Sabanilla, Department of Atlántico, an analysis was carried out using satellite images between the years of 2004 and 2017 to determine the evolution of the coastline. The results were based on the observation of temporary changes associated with the installation of groynes in the years 2007 and 2015. In addition, an evaluation of the environmental quality of the beach was carried out, considering the characteristics of the environment before and after the installation of the groynes. The analyzes in the water highlighted improvements in physicochemical parameters such as the color that went from 40 and 80 UPC to values ​​of 5, 10 and 20 UPC, the turbidity of 58,7 NTU was reduced to values ​​between 3,2 to 17,4 NTU. The total and fecal coliforms in water were within the range of the Colombian standard’s quality criteria, while the fecal coliforms in the sand of the beach exceeded the maximum permissible value, <100NMP/10g stipulated in the Colombian Sectorial Technical Standard NTS-TS 001 - 2. The tourism load and the solid waste increased notoriously after the intervention of the beach. The erosion effects on Sabanilla beach can be mitigated, but the stabilization of the beach has brought more visitors and has propitiated aesthetic and health effects, being necessary to adopt preventive actions that integrate the entire ecosystem for its conservation.