The Public’s Radio — Newport’s only public beach is eroding. Should the city save it?

Credit:  Olivia Ebertz / The Public’s Radio

June 7, 2024

By Olivia Ebertz — As structures like the carousel and snack bar building are being demolished at Easton’s Beach, city officials are grappling with how to save an eroding beach.

Newport has one public beach, and it’s washing away fast. The severe storms this past winter have exacerbated erosion at Easton’s Beach, which was already eroding at alarming rates. Now, Newport officials want voters to decide whether to fund a multi-million dollar sand replenishment project to help shore up the beach. Some people are questioning whether it’s the smartest idea as sea levels continue to rise and storms get stronger. 

According to some scientists, Easton’s Beach, also called First Beach, is currently eroding away at a rate of 1.2 feet per year. The Atlantic Ocean is already destroying buildings at the beach, threatening infrastructure, and endangering the very existence of the beach itself, the sand.

The Newport Beach Commission is the public body charged with maintaining the beach, a task that has been increasingly difficult in recent years. As the climate continues to warm, storms are getting worse. Over the past winter, three major storms wreaked havoc on the beach. They destroyed parts of concrete walkways, flooded buildings. They carried seawater past the beach, into the road, and very nearly into the town’s water supply. The storms were a reminder of the uncertain future ahead for Easton Beach and the tough decisions the city needs to make.  

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