Private Community • Est. 1960
  Cobmoosa Shores
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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Annual Dues
    • Beach Erosion Control
    • Board Approval Required for
    • Board of Trustees
    • Committees
    • Covenants and By-Laws
    • CSA Apparel & More
    • Fireworks in Cobmoosa
    • Parking Stickers
    • Plat Maps
    • Rental Registration Program
    • Road Plan
    • Sharing Our Beach
  • Communications
    • Annual Meeting Minutes
    • Annual Newsletters
    • Board of Trustees Minutes
    • Burn Permit Updates
    • Calendar of Events
    • Fall/Spring Newsletters
    • News & Notes
  • Contact Us
    • Question/Comment for the Board
    • Update My Contact Information
  • Photo Gallery

Dune Dilgence: Protect the Beach Grass

9/12/2020

 
Practice “Dune Diligence”
Protect Marram Grass, aka Beach Grass
(Ammophila breviligulata Fernald)
 
Within Cobmoosa Shores we are fortunate to have beach and sand dune areas available for us to enjoy.

The dunes, in particular, are fragile ecosystems subject to erosion by wind and water. The critical “sand-binder” in Michigan’s active, coastal dune areas is a grass called marram or beach grass. As a pioneer species, it is exquisitely adapted to survive in areas characterized by high winds, low moisture, low nutrient levels, and moving sand.

Marram grass slows blowing sand by impeding it with above ground shoots, after which the sand falls down to the base of these plants and begins to pile up. The grass eventually gets buried, but then sends up more above ground parts while an extensive system of underground stems (rhizomes) and associated roots form a dense mat which binds up the loose sand and helps prevent dune erosion.
 
As the sand becomes somewhat stabilized, other plant species with similar adaptations to a dune environment are able to take root and promote further stabilization. Some of these are other grass species such as sand reedgrass (Calamovilfa longifolia (Hook.) Scribn.) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash).
 
Especially during high-water periods, when dune and shoreline bluff erosion can be quite rapid, we need to do all we can to protect marram grass and its associates that act to stabilize the moving sand. If we damage or kill these all-important sand-binders, the sand particles will no longer be held in place, other species of vegetation will not be able to gain a foothold, and the animals that would find homes in vegetated, more stable dunes will not be able to live there.
​
Marram grass has a stem that can be damaged when walked on, and we all know that covering plants with opaque objects can kill them, so leaving boats on the dunes or other objects that block marram grass from the sun is not a good idea. In addition, root systems can become exposed or damaged by dragging chairs, boats, and toys across the dunes. Children digging in the dunes and sliding down dune banks can also damage the grasses. For these reasons, practice “dune diligence” and stay off these fragile areas as much as possible so as not to harm these stabilizing grasses.
Prepared by Barbara L. Rafaill, PhD
12 September 2020

The North Access Erosion Project

6/20/2020

 
During its June 13th board meeting, the trustees and the guests present discussed the North Access erosion project that encompassed the properties of the Dean’s, CSA, and the Chien’s. The following points were made:
  • Participation in the project by the Association was necessary to protect the value of the Association's property at the North Access. NOTE: The Association fully owns the properties of the North and South Accesses, the park across from the North Access, as well as the land on the Cobmoosa lakeshore. Please consult the “Sharing Our Beach” page on the Association’s website for the descriptive details of the properties owned by the CSA for the common enjoyment of the membership, their families, and their guests.
  • The speed of the Board's decision was due to the alarming rate of erosion at the North Access and the timing of the adjacent property owners' proposal for a joint project. It has been estimated that for a period we were losing ~12 feet of beach per week.
  • The Annual Meeting Newsletter included a drawing of this project. It shows that the three properties have 155 feet of common frontage on Lake Michigan. Of that total, 35 feet (22.5%) belongs to the Association.
  • The Association's costs for its share of the project is $9500. The Association has not and will not pay for any portion of the cost to protect the Dean's & Chien's properties.
  • The Dean’s and the Chien’s graciously advanced payment for the entire project. The Association has already reimbursed them $3000 for its share from its accumulated budget surplus for the current fiscal year.
  • The proposal before the membership is to allow the Association to spend “up to $7000” for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2020, to reimburse the Chien's & Dean's for the balance of the Association's share of the project. (The wording of “up to $7000” is for the simple reason that there are always additional charges that were not anticipated in the original estimate.)
​
​You may wish to refer to the 2020 Annual Newsletter with the underlined text linking to the Annual Meeting Newsletter page as well.

4th of July Parade/Ice Cream Social

6/16/2020

 
The CSA Board has decided it is not in the best interest of our community to hold the annual parade and ice cream social.  We hope everyone will have a safe and healthy holiday.
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COBMOOSA SHORES ASSOCIATION, INC
​PO BOX 186
​New Era, Michigan 49446-0186