In 2004 the National Trust, owners of Mullion Harbour, commissioned a study to investigate management strategies for the next 100 years. It was structures within the harbour, sustaining a significant amount of damage in the 1990s and general concerns about the increasing frequency of such damage with rising waters and global changes in the Earth's climate that prompted the study. It's purpose was to assist the National Trust in selecting an appropriate strategy for managing the harbour over the next 100 years.The study objectives were:
- To identify practicable strategy options using information on the present harbour condition and predicted wave conditions for the next 100 years.
- To provide a technical, environmental and cost assessment of the strategy options and to select with the Trust the most appropriate strategy.
- To incorporate stakeholder views in the study and to provide a strategy that is acceptable to the majority of the local community and stakeholders.
The study has included the following elements:
- Data collection, incorporating a review of the archive information on the harbour, desk-based review of environmental information and obtaining wave level data.
- Field investigations including; bathymetric and topographic surveys, geological investigation, environmental inspection, hydrological investigation, condition assessment using boreholes through the harbour structures and underwater inspection and a survey of the local community.
- Analysis of the issue facing the harbour by assessing the wave force acting on the harbour at present and over the next 100 years (with sea level rise) and considering the harbour's present condition.
- development of strategy option, which divide into three generic types; major embellishment, repair and maintenance and retreat.
- Assessment of the strategy options over the next 100 years, considering sea level rise.
- Option selection using a matrix approach to rank the relative merits of the strategy options.
- Consultation via a stakeholder group with the local community, regulatory authorities, statutory consultees and regional groups. the consultation has continued throughout the study.
The conclusion to the study is that the maintain and repair until failure option is the preferred management strategy for Mullion over the next 100 years. This option will allow visitors and Trust members to enjoy the harbour for as long as practicable while recognising that the Trust does not have the resources to sustain the harbour indefinitely.
View the full report on the Mullion Harbour study, or visit the National Trust homepage for other related issues.
A group of us from the Marine College went over to Mullion Harbour on the 16th of April to talk with Justin Whitehouse, the Natural Trust warden for The Lizard. He explained in detail how the commissioned study had been conducted and how it had led to the conclusions and recommendations for the future management of the harbour. He talked about the various options and the processes that they have to go through to come up with the recommendations. One of the things that I picked up on was the lack of money available to help maintain and protect the harbour, but as global warming and sea level rise are both contributing factors in the damage sustained to the harbour structures, we have to understand that Mullion is just one part in the whole scheme of things. Global warming and sea level rise is threatening nearly every coastal town, village and city on national, international and global level. The funding From organisations such as the National Trust can only stretch so far and we must understand that priority for funding has to be given to the areas with heavy populations, or which have economic importance. It's a harsh realisation to think that our future generations may not get to enjoy these beautiful and historic places the same as we have, but we are the ones creating our future and we are only ones that have the power to change things for the better.
View the full report on the Mullion Harbour study, or visit the National Trust homepage for other related issues.
A group of us from the Marine College went over to Mullion Harbour on the 16th of April to talk with Justin Whitehouse, the Natural Trust warden for The Lizard. He explained in detail how the commissioned study had been conducted and how it had led to the conclusions and recommendations for the future management of the harbour. He talked about the various options and the processes that they have to go through to come up with the recommendations. One of the things that I picked up on was the lack of money available to help maintain and protect the harbour, but as global warming and sea level rise are both contributing factors in the damage sustained to the harbour structures, we have to understand that Mullion is just one part in the whole scheme of things. Global warming and sea level rise is threatening nearly every coastal town, village and city on national, international and global level. The funding From organisations such as the National Trust can only stretch so far and we must understand that priority for funding has to be given to the areas with heavy populations, or which have economic importance. It's a harsh realisation to think that our future generations may not get to enjoy these beautiful and historic places the same as we have, but we are the ones creating our future and we are only ones that have the power to change things for the better.
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