Editor ––
We would like to enter into the discussion begun last week by Vic Sprecher’s Letters to the Editor regarding raking our beaches here on South Padre Island.
My husband and I also collect trash every morning on our sunrise beach walks, and it is rare that we find enough flotsam at the wrack line to even have much to rake. However, there were a few days in mid-January when freshwater hyacinths washed up on the beach in great numbers, obscuring the sea shells underneath. Still, in a few days, the Gulf waves took care of the problem and removed almost all of them, leaving the beach clear once again.
It’s important to understand that the beach is a living biocommunity providing homes for many essential insects, crustaceans, and small mammals which we may never see. One of these tiny beach dwellers, the isopod, is an important food source for shorebirds. Also known as the “roly-poly,” isopods are nocturnal and spend the daytime burrowed into the sand. They come out at night to feed on marine vegetation deposited on the beach. Research has shown that where beaches are raked regularly, isopod populations decrease dramatically, and this, in turn, affects the food source of many shorebirds.
Raking beaches also causes the sand to dry out more quickly, thus blowing away faster and exacerbating erosion. It also interferes with seed germination near the dune line. As mentioned in a footnote at the end of Mr. Sprecher’s letter, Texas A&M recommended raking the beach “as needed.” There certainly are occasional events when this is necessary. Still, on a day-to-day, even week-to-week basis, we do not find this to be a problem on our beaches.
Mary Grizzard
Editor ––
Thanks Sarah for reporting our SPI City council meetings. It's very helpful for our community to better understand the decisions our city council, mayor and city manager must make and enact. . .
I would like to comment on Victor Baldovinos' comments in which he asked everyone to ""turn off their lights on Saturday 25th 8:30 to 9"30 to participate in Earth Hour to raise awareness about climate change"".
Living in SPI for 17 years I consider Victor a positive asset as Director of Environmental Health. His department is reactive to our citizens' concerns and efficiently takes care of city business.
Vic Sprecher
