Public works conducts temporary repairs to Marine Park shoreline

Blaine Public Works Department conducted temporary repairs to Blaine Marine Park shoreline to repair damage from last year’s January king tide storm that eroded sections of the beach.

Strong northerly winds and high water levels wore away the park’s bank, eroding up to 15 feet of banks and exposing trash from the old landfill site on the park’s eastern side, in January 2021. The city placed orange fencing in areas where erosion reached the trail but didn’t have money in the 2021 budget to do immediate repairs. 

Public works director Bernie Ziemianek said public works crews conducted temporary repairs during the first two weeks of March by placing rock to stabilize the shoreline and prevent washout from the underground dump.

“We want to stop any further erosion and restore the safe walking path,” he said.

A permanent fix will require additional funds to create a more detailed plan with heavier rock structure and soil erosion techniques, Ziemianek said. 

“We’re looking for additional funding,” he said. “We’re at the mercy of it getting picked up by the state and various programs.”

No other storms since the January 2021 king tide have created additional damage to the shoreline, Ziemianek said. King tide storms eroded the shoreline and exposed buried landfill trash in 2012 and 2018, according to previous reporting from The Northern Light. 

Public works will continue to monitor the area, Ziemianek said.