Until 2004, the Central Florida Atlantic coastline in Southeast Volusia County had enjoyed years of relative calm. Storms occurred so infrequently, with such ample time periods in between, that our beaches were able to mostly maintain themselves through natural accretion. No major storm had disrupted the dune system within two miles south of the Ponce Inlet Jetty , and those large, sturdy dunes protected the stability of our beach and the upland structures beyond them. However, beyond this two-mile stretch of beach South of the Inlet our beaches have been exposed to gradual erosion over many years. So gradual, that the everyday beach patron didn’t pay much notice. In 1999, the State of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection Agency declared approximately 23 miles of beach in Volusia County to be “critically eroded”, primarily in Southeast Volusia County.
Then, in 2004, an unprecedented four major Hurricanes ravaged our beaches. Due to the storm events, we lost six to twelve feet of vertical dune height and twelve to twenty feet of width in the existing natural dune. We lost thousands of tons of sand from our beaches within a four to five week period. The evidence of beach erosion is certainly prevalent and noticeable to all that visit and use our beaches today. The negative economic impact that a continuing eroding beach will cause across multiple local industries is potentially detrimental to the general economy of Volusia County. It has been reported by some local vendors that tourism related activities in 2005 and early 2006 have declined compared to previous years, primarily due to eroded beaches in Southeast Volusia.
In early 2004, Volusia County, in partnership with the State, conducted a feasibility study to confirm and verify the State’s findings of "critically eroded beach", which cost approximately $500,000. Volusia County Council has since approved a million dollar ($1,000,000) Sand Source Study, expected to be completed in summer of 2006. County Council has also approved another million ($1,000,000) to Design/Permit Beach Restoration project; however, County Council has yet to give final approval to implement a plan and "cost-share" a funding plan with the State of Florida. Please let Volusia County Council hear from you regarding your support for this project.
The purpose of the study is to determine how the sand system in the project area is affected by waves, tidal action and storm surge. The study is intended to determine where the sand is going once it washes away from our beaches and to identify the factors that are causing the erosion to occur.
In addition, the study and related sand search is intended to identify the source for restoring the sand to our beaches and address the impact that this will have on the region’s sand dynamics.
The study will likely result in a recommendation to restore our beaches, which will involve “beach restoration.” Beach restoration generally involves extending the beach through a process of dredging sand off-shore and returning it to the beach. Once implemented, the project will become an ongoing process, which will likely include maintenance (or adding additional sand) every 6 to 8 years to maintain the beach or as needed.
Beach restoration is just the first step in a managed beach program. Every restoration project develops a plan for anticipated maintenance of their beach, usually designed for approximately every 6 to 8 years. The beach is designed with a volume of sand to achieve a specific level of storm protection. An additional 6 to 8 years of “sacrificial” sand is added to account for the ongoing beach erosion. After construction, the beach performance is monitored and maintenance nourishment occurs when the “sacrificial” sand is nearly eroded. Some beaches perform better than expected and exceed their designed nourishment interval. Some beaches, particularly in the event of severe storm damage like that seen from the 2004 hurricane season, may require an accelerated nourishment event.
The designed nourishment interval in a project is driven by performance and economics. If the project is in an erosive area, the beach won’t perform as well and will necessitate a more frequent nourishment interval. Also, a shorter project (shoreline length) will not perform as well as a longer project. From a cost perspective, it can actually be cheaper to nourish more frequently than wait a few extra years. This has to do with the volume of material needed and the cost per cubic yard.
Overall, however, beach restoration projects in the state of Florida are performing well. Further, it is important to note that no community that has embarked on a beach restoration and maintenance program has then chosen to abandon it because they felt the cost/benefit ratio didn't warrant continuing to maintain a healthy beach and the income streams that beach produced for tourism dollars, appreciating property values, and tax revenues.
With our restoration and nourishment planning, we should all keep in mind that the engineer’s design will anticipate performance based on erosion rates and sediment characteristics derived from the studies currently being undertaken by Volusia County. Additionally, the beach will be surveyed annually to monitor its performance. Should the monitoring data indicate poor project performance, the engineer will look for alternatives to enhance the project’s longevity. These may include a change in the sediment characteristics (perhaps a coarser grain size), change in sediment volumes (possible additional sand at a particular location) or the incorporation of structures (groins or breakwaters).
You may find the performance of Sand Key's beach to be of interest. Sand Key's project was designed with a nourishment cycle of five years. As a result of monitoring, it was found to have performed better than expected. It is also a pretty large project, with 9.3 miles of shoreline. It is scheduled for nourishment to begin this month, over seven years since the last event, which was started in March 1998. Even without the 2004 hurricane season, this would be considered an excellent performance by their beach!
Again, the key to the process is not only initial restoration but regular maintenance. Just like painting the house, changing the oil in the car or the continued care and maintenance of anything of value you want to keep in good condition, beaches need periodic attention. An essential part of the restoration plan is to anticipate that need and have the permitting and funding stream in place before implementation is required.
According to Volusia County, construction costs for a full-scale beach restoration effort for the south beach shoreline are estimated to be $ 20,000,000 to $ 40,000,000. A project of this magnitude would result in the restoration of 8 to 9 miles of shoreline with beach compatible sand being filled 6' to 9' high and 200' to 300' wide from the seawalls to the waters edge.
Project construction will likely be contingent on state and local, and perhaps Federal funding availability and local strategic programmatic decisions related to such.
While some erosion is due to natural forces (i.e. Hurricanes, Northeasters) and imprudent coastal development, a significant amount of coastal erosion in Florida is directly attributable to the construction and maintenance of navigation inlets. Florida has over 60 inlets around the state, many have been artificially deepened to accommodate commercial and recreational vessels and employ jetties to prevent sand from filling in the channels. (i.e. Ponce Inlet)
A by-product of this practice is that the jetties and the inlet channels have interrupted the natural flow of sand along the beach causing an accumulation of sand in the inlet channel and at the jetty on one side of the inlet, and a loss of sand to the beaches on the other side of the inlet.
Beach erosion threatens the very resource that our residents and visitors enjoy. Our sandy beaches are experiencing "critical erosion", a level of erosion, which threatens local economies, recreational, cultural, and environmental interests.
“Beaches are dynamic land forms subject to both sever storm damage and man-induced erosion. As a result, they require protection, and in some cases repair. To suggest that beaches will survive if simply left alone or addressed only with stringent development regulations is to ignore the causes of erosion.”- Economics of Florida’s Beaches
Equally as important to Volusia County, but less recognized, are the substantial economic benefits that result from our beaches. Beaches contribute to expanding federal, state and local tax bases; increase income and employment opportunities for residents; increase visitor spending; and enhance property values.
In a typical beach nourishment project, sand is collected from an offshore location by a dredge and is piped onto the beach. A slurry of sand and water exits the pipe on the beach and once the water drains away, only sand is left behind. Bulldozers move this new sand on the beach until the beach matches the design profile. Beach nourishment is a preferred way to add sand to a system that has been starved by the altered inlets and major storms because it provides a significant level of storm protection benefits for upland properties and is the least impacting to the coastal system. An additional benefit of beach restoration projects is that they quickly restore shore bird, marine turtle habitat and continue to add support to local industries dependent on the visitors to the beach.
The program is authorized by Florida Statues, specifically Section 161.091. The link will take you to this section in the Florida Statues.
Project Specifications:
Berm Length: 8 to 9 Miles
Berm Width: 200 feet to 300 feet
Berm Height: 6 feet to 9 feet
Fill Volume: 3 million to 4 million cubic yards
Boundaries: Sapphire Road to Canaveral National Seashore
Construction Cost Estimate: $ 20,000,000 to $ 40,000,000
The program is authorized by Section 161.101, Florida Statutes. Since its inception in 1964, the Florida Beach Erosion Control Program has been a primary source of funding to local governments for beach erosion control and preservation activities.
Volusia County is one of the last two counties, within the State of Florida, that has state-identified “critically eroded” beaches and has not implemented a long-term Beach restoration project. Volusia County has been offered “cost-sharing” funds from the State since the early 1990’s and our County Council has lacked the support, foresight and commitment to fulfill this needed project.
As noted in another section, Volusia County, in partnership with the State, conducted a feasibility study to confirm and verify the State’s findings of “Critically Eroded” beach in early 2004, which cost approximately $500,000. The Council has since approved $1,000,000 Sand Source Study, expecting to be completed in summer of 2006 and approved another $1,000,000 to Design/Permit Beach Restoration project.
Too much time has passed and are beach sand levels are even more critical, since the 2004 storms. Our economy and beaches can not withstand another year of unprecedented storms without having rebuilt beach to offer needed protection.
We still need County Council’s final approval to implement a plan and “cost-share” a funding plan with State of Florida. Please let the County Council hear from you regarding your support for this project.
This page will be updated on a regular basis. Please visit again soon.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |