The District Mayor’s Office of Santa Marta, through its Office for Risk Management and Climate Change (Ogricc), shared the results of soil, hydrological, hydraulic, metocean and morphological studies carried out to find a definitive solution to coastal erosion at Playa Salguero. The findings were presented to the Disaster Risk Reduction Committee, the mayor and the local council members (ediles) of Locality 3, Turística Perla del Caribe.
The data gathered has been turned into a coastal and marine model that will make it possible to design and size effective solutions, such as rigid, semi-rigid or flexible structures to reduce disaster risk in the Playa Salguero area. However, the district government clarified that the studies do not include carrying out any works, although they are the first and most important step toward developing the structural designs.
The coastal modeling proposal presented by the contractor, based on the study results, includes two protective breakwaters, one at the mouth of the Gaira River (to the north) and another near Cerro Punta Gloria (to the south), plus a third, central T-shaped rubble-mound breakwater designed to dissipate the energy of the waves reaching the beach and keep sediment from naturally drifting out to open sea.
Six groins would be added to this structure, further reducing wave impact and helping hold sediment in place along the eroded stretch.
For the eventual construction, the contractor suggested dredging the seabed along at least 1.400 linear meters, so the sand removed can be deposited as supporting sediment along the Playa Salguero shoreline.
Santa Marta’s mayor also stressed that, with this investment, “we will contribute to the development of the area’s merchants, fishermen, tour operators and restaurateurs, and strengthen tourism in Santa Marta, creating modern spaces for the city as it approaches its 500th anniversary.”
