I didn't remember that side of the island as being sandy. Recall, around 1900, there weren't a lot of trees and sheep were grazed on the island. People also used to row out to go berrying on Welch. Shirley Burns had pix from those days--Sandy and Mike probably still have them.
Yes, Contractor's Rye (Ryegrass) will germinate quickly and help hold soil in place when everything is moved around during construction. That's what we put down when the power line came through, mostly to maintain a firebreak. No maintenance or fertilizer, but we cut it every few years to keep brush down under the power line. We also planted some white pines, again to put some roots into the ground and stabilize the soil. Those were the right steps, but I don't think we connected it to improved water quality in those days. Only zero maintenance.
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