#1. The lagoon in 1921 : there are no dwellings present, and the lagoon shows a continuation
at least at high water with the set of small lagoons to the north. The lagoon system runs behind
the low berm which would be breached by storm tides especially during high tides. In 1965 the
lagoons have separated off from each other, and there are several boardwalks across the narrow
margins. By 2005, infilling by humans has caused the disappearance of the northern lagoon
completely. The other lagoons are no longer joined.

#2. The lagoon would have pushed through the berm and opened up onto the beach when fall rains
started, much like the natural lagoons of Sherwood Pond and Gooch Creak do today just a
short distance along the coast to the north. The extra lens of beach seaward at #2 in the 1921 photo is
evidence of this breakthrough. In the 1965 photo, considerable development has taken place.
Many of the present residences are already in place by that time, although the if the lower end of
the map in 1965 was visible, the present location of the extensive trailer court was then only a
campground. Natural vegetated berm was still in place in front of the large lagoon in 1965. This
changed in the late seventies, when the owner of the Weir's Beach resort started extensive grading
and clay capping of the berm in the area of #2. This process was stopped by concerned neighbours.
and only the north end of the beach retains a somewhat natural vegetated berm. At the same time,
a control structure was installed at #2, and bulkheading with large boulders was carried out on the
section of the beach numbered 2, 3 and 4.

#3. The evidence of beach deterioration is clear here. In 1921, there was a wide beach with a large
sandy berm. If the bottom half of 1965 was available the same could be noted. With the addition of the
boulders for bulkheading, the deterioration of the beach followed and the loss of sand by 2005 is evident at #3
By 2007, the condition has worsened and the area at #2 has also become more eroded.

#4. Area #4 is particularly revealing as the sand width in 2005 and 2007 is now a mere strand at the top
of the beach, compared to its width of earlier years.

#5. Area #5 has been the most constant through the span of years represented. In that area, human
impact has been the least, the berm remains relatively undisturbed, and is heavily vegetated.
Unfortunately there is no evidence of the backshore lagoon that still had existed up to 1965.

The interpretations and opinions expressed above are strictly those of the writer**

Complete versions of the 1921 and 1965 maps are available on the Taylor Beach Section.

These maps have been supplied by Chris Pratt. The CRD NATURAL AREAS ATLAS is the
source of the 2005 and 2007 images.

This site has been created to represent the contiguous ecosystems of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve/Marine Protected Area and for the use of the Green Blue Spaces sub committee of the Metchosin Environmental Advisory Select Committee ( MEASC).