Posted on October 28, 2026
Officials evaluated shoreline conditions at Presque Isle State Park during a fall beach walk as this year’s sand replenishment project nears completion.
Representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources confirmed the park secured the full $3 million needed for nourishment funding.
The park had been searching for sand replenishment funding earlier in the summer, which raised concerns regarding future beach conditions. Obtaining the full federal funding later in the year has placed park management in a stronger position to manage the shoreline.
Matt Greene, operations manager at Presque Isle State Park, explained that the late arrival of funds altered the initial spending schedule.
“We weren’t able to spend it all this year just because of how late it ended up coming in. The rest of that federal money that came in late is getting earmarked as 2026 money, and that’s going to remain in the project fund to get started earlier next year,” Greene said.
He noted that incomplete replenishment in consecutive years creates long-term challenges, stating, “In 2025 we didn’t get a full nourishment; 2026 we didn’t get a full nourishment; those are cumulative effects that kind of add up over time.”
Weston Cross, a representative with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District, evaluated the shoreline conditions during the walk.
“The lake levels have returned to their long-term averages now. We’ve had ice the last couple winters. Last spring was the first beach walk we came out in quite a few years, and there wasn’t a whole lot of worry going into it; we’re pretty confident we’re going to have some work to do, but we were about to work through it,” Cross said.
Beach Five, which features a break wall, took the sand replenishment well this season, providing support for the remaining beaches along Presque Isle.
Cross noted the physical barrier created by the project.
“We have a fantastic nourishment berm in place; you can see there’s a good wide set of beach in front of the vegetation line. 70, 75 feet that’s going to serve a great purpose over the course of winter as it erodes out as the winter waves come in; it will keep it from going too far back into the dune,” Cross said.
Heading into the winter season, officials are looking for early ice dunes to form along the shoreline.
The ice functions as a protective blanket across the sand, helping slow down beach erosion caused by incoming winter waves.
With the remaining funding secured, park officials plan to get a new contractor to carry out work through the rest of 2026 and ensure an early start for the 2027 season.
