Why are ICOLLs artificially opened to the ocean?
Many ICOLLs have been, and continue to be, manually or artificially opened to the ocean by various authorities. Heavy equipment, such as excavators, are used to artificially open ICOLLs by digging a channel through the sand berm between the ICOLL edge to the ocean. The main reason for artificially opening an ICOLL entrance is to mitigate and reduce the impacts of flooding. When water levels rise in a closed ICOLL following rainfall this can lead to flooding of urban and rural development adjacent to the lake or lagoon foreshore, including private properties, business premises, roads, parklands, sewerage systems and farmland.
