BIVALVE, Md. - When Aaron Hogue visited Cove Road Beach for the first time in months, he couldn't believe his eyes.
"So I had no idea this was happening. I only discovered it after the fact several weeks ago," said Hogue.
The Salisbury University assistant biology professor said what surprised him most about the beach was that there was so little beach left.
"My understanding was their goal in doing this was to restore the beach and have it continue as a beach for public use and they've changed that," said Hogue.
Cove Road Beach and Roaring Point are both susceptible to erosion, so in August, Wicomico County undertook a more than $670,000 restoration project. Now, a wide swath of marsh grass lines the water's edge and leaves a much smaller strip of sand for beachgoers.
"What should have been done is beach nourishment, putting sand back on the beach, and called it a day," said Hogue.
In a statement to WBOC, Niki Wheatley, a spokesperson for Wicomico County Recreation, Parks, Tourism & Civic Center said:
"Faced with the prospect that no action would result in loss of these valuable quality-of-life assets, the County consulted with multiple State and Federal agencies to coordinate restoration projects, which are aimed to protect the shoreline and preserve the parks for generations to come."
"These projects have been in the pipeline for years and have been publicly vetted by multiple local, state and federal agencies."
Hogue said he understands the need to protect the beaches but wishes the public would have had some input.
"I've used these beaches for 15 years and I've never seen any notice to that effect," said Hogue.
