Project Environment - Department of Environment

The western portion of the project site is the only exposed area and therefore it is evident that the
erosion process has eroded some of the land. In order to prevent erosion, it is anticipated that a
sea wall will be constructed and placed along the coast.
Apart from seasonal variations in wind conditions and sea states, catastrophic storm events are
an attendant risk of residing in coastal Belize. Although no site-specific modeling has been done
for Caye Caulker, projections for a Category 5 Hurricane with wind speeds of 175 mph entails
storm surges of 10-18ft. above mean sea level (MSL).
2.3.4 Tides and Currents
The currents influencing the depositional and erosion processes of the proposed project site are
derived from both wind-driven and tidal sources. The wind driven currents are greater in
magnitude and are in general more influential in affecting the dynamics of the cayes and the
ecosystems of the surrounding waters. Wind driven currents in the Belize have been recorded at
1-1.5 knots at the immediate sub-surface and 0.2-0.6 knots at a depth of 1.8 meters (FAO/UNDP
unpublished report, 1983).
The tidal action within the project site is classified as semidiurnal mixed tides, with generally
four peaks in any given tidal day as follows: a high high, a high low, a low high and a low low
tide (Hanson & von Twistern , 1996; National Meteorological Service, pers. com.). Generally
tidal variation is 0.3-0.5 m, raising to 0.8 m during spring tides or associated with storm action
(See Fig. 2.7 for tidal influences).
Tides also affect currents. Narrow cuts such as the Caye Caulker Split funnel can have strong
currents sufficiently fast as to threaten all but those strong swimmers using fins. Channels in the
reef will also reflect tidal currents depending upon their dimensions. Hol Chan Channel also
shows strong current speeds during peak tides, while the larger channels off Caye Caulker
exhibit slower speeds. During the high tides, the currents at the Caye Caulker split and the
channel travel inland and during low tide regress back out to sea. There are also lateral currents
that can affect the project site and impact the reclaimed beach and the moored boats. This lateral
current is neither strong nor prevalent, nevertheless this effect must be mitigated in order to
prevent further beach erosion and to protect the boats whilst moored to the marina.
The prevailing water movement entering the Caribbean is the wind-driven Guiana Current,
flowing from southeast to northwest; this becomes the Caribbean Current, flowing through the
Lesser Antilles with the majority reaching the Yucatan Strait (Hanson & von Twistern, 1996).
The current breaks at Rocky Point, northern Belize, to form a small gyre that drives the sea off
Belize to flow from north to south (Perkins, 1983).
While the prevailing current flow moves from north to south, powerful northerly winds during
cold fronts or other storm events may generate temporary strong currents that may carry
materials such as sediments as far as the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS). These
currents vary seasonally and, though charted in general, have not been studied in detail (Hanson
& von Twistern, 1996).
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