City of Cape Town kicks off annual beach lowering at City beaches

Beach lowering underway at several Cape Town beaches

The City of Cape Town will kick off its annual beach lowering programme next Tuesday, 1 October with completion set for 8 November.

According to the City, the work will commence from Fish Hoek to Muizenberg, and Gordon’s Bay to Bikini Beach.

The following areas along the beaches will be lowered:

• Fish Hoek beach: From Jager’s Walk (in front of the Galley Restaurant) to the stormwater outlet in front of the main parking area
• Muizenberg beach: From Surfer’s Corner to the Zandvlei River mouth
• Gordon’s Bay beach: From the Spur restaurant to the end of the parking area in the north
• Bikini Beach: The entire length of beach

Why the need for lowering?

The re-profiling or beach lowering is important in maintaining stability in highly altered coastal systems to mitigate and manage windblown sand, the City says.

“The lowering of beach sand levels enables greater areas of the beach to become wet during high tides, therefore limiting the potential for wind-blown sand to inundate adjacent roads and infrastructure. We are aiming to complete the work ahead of the festive season to ensure beachgoers have unhindered fun when next they visit these beaches,” Deputy and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews goes on to explain.

Beach users are advised to keep a safe distance from the machinery being used on the beach, even though beach access will not be restricted during the course of the work.

Seasonal lifeguards recruited for Cape Town beaches

The City of Cape Town also recently said that it will increase efforts to ensure a safe and enjoyable summer beach season. Every year, the City’s Recreation and Parks Department embarks on the important task of recruiting seasonal lifeguards to guarantee safety at municipal pools and beaches.

This year, 241 seasonal beach lifeguards have already been recruited, ready to work under the guidance of 12 permanent Senior Lifeguards.

Councillor Patricia van der Ross, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, said that they want to ensure a safe and memorable beach experience for everyone.

“While the weather is still in flux as the seasons change, people do start venturing to the beach this time of year, hence the lifeguard deployment. I want to appeal to not only our locals, but visitors too, to only swim where lifeguards are on duty, and only in designated bathing areas.” van der Ross said.