BROWARD COUNTY, FL – Some 750,000 cubic yards of sand will soon be distributed along beaches in Pompano Beach, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Fort Lauderdale, as part of Broward’s beach renourishment plan.
The Segment II Broward County Shore Protection project is scheduled to get underway the first week in January. The $55-million project will result in pristine beaches about 75 feet wide and will add sand to areas that haven’t been renourished since 1983. The purpose of the Segment II project is to reconstruct areas of eroded beach and increase storm protection and habitat along the shoreline.
“We have waited a long time for this project to begin. It took a great deal of work, but federal, state, city and county governments came together to finance and design a beach renourishment plan that will restore our shoreline,” said Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca at an informational public meeting that he held for residents interested in the renourishment project.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just recently approved the Project Partnership Agreement, which will reimburse $30 million, more than half the cost of the overall project, including post monitoring of the new sand. Broward County, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the three cities that are part of the Segment II project will pick up the rest of the cost.
“Our beaches are enjoyed by residents and tourists and they are vital to Broward County’s infrastructure and economy. Tourists spent an estimated $13-billion last year. We hope to keep this permit open, so that we can continue to protect and enhance the shoreline as necessary,” said Commissioner LaMarca.
Trucks will distribute the sand from three access points along the 4.9 mile stretch of beach. The sand is sourced from the Ortona Sand Mine in LaBelle, Florida and will be undergo continuous quality control testing during the project.
The project will be conducted in segments beginning January 4, 2016. At each access site, 120 trucks will deliver an estimated 2,500 tons of sand six days a week through the duration of the project.
Information and updates on the Broward County Shoreline Segment II Protection Project can be found at www.broward.org/beachrenourishment. Questions about the project can be sent to Nicole Sharp, Broward County Beach Program Manager, at nsharp@broward.org or Greg Ward at gward@broward.org.
