Bear Cove Coastline Reestablishment

• Main Author: Chris Ryan
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bear Cove; Belle Isle; Newfoundland; St Barbe; Strait of Belle Isle; Western Point
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1034.1400; http://journals.library.mun.ca/ojs/index.php/prototype/article/download/434/519/

Bear Cove is a small community on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador in the Straits – St. Barbe region. Originally settled for proximity to fishing and hunting grounds, Bear Cove still maintains a small population of approximately 83 people [1]. The cove itself is a small, shallow inlet unsheltered from the Strait of Belle Isle. By current standards, the cove is far from optimal for a typical Newfoundland outport; many residents of Bear Cove still own small fishing vessels of 26 feet or less. Very few stages exist in the area, and most vessels are stored on the beach out of reach of the land-wash or in a large field bordering the beach. During an undefined period prior to the year 2010, the coastline of Bear Cove transitioned from what was once a well-defined, exposed cove to a partially protected and stationary body of water. This transition was the result of a sandbar formation that stretched from the western point of the cove. This berm was naturally formed as a result of ocean transport and deposition, consisting of sand, cobbles, and boulders. While this berm initially provided protection for any coastal structures and vessels on the shore and was welcomed by the residents of the community, over time it began to develop a significant