Posted on May 14, 2025
MANATEE COUNTY – Anna Maria Island beach renourishment is scheduled for 2026-27 at federal expense, but Manatee County must pay to stabilize Gulf Drive, install offshore erosion control breakwaters and repair the Longboat Pass jetty, the county’s beach official said.
During a joint meeting of the Manatee County Commission and the Town of Longboat Key on May 7, Manatee County Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker gave a presentation on storm recovery and beach renourishment.
“Our contract with the federal government says if we lose the beach to a hurricane or a single major event, what’s called an emergency condition… the federal government will return to rebuild your project at 100% federal cost including putting in dunes to replace the ones lost,” Hunsicker said. “So we’re in a very fortunate position Island-wide, but that still leaves us with the full burden of cost for these other features at Coquina and Cortez Beach.”
Beach renourishment
The first Anna Maria Island beach renourishment was in 1992.
“Up until 1992, 9 miles of Anna Maria beaches left us only 30% of the beaches you could walk at high tide,” Hunsicker said. “If you weren’t here then and you see our healthy beaches now, you wonder why are we in this strong effort to keep these beaches healthy and continue to nourish. Because this is the end point when our nourishment stops. The erosion effects on our Island is day to day. Storm or no storm, we are losing about 10 feet a year to erosion.”
“We’ve continuously stayed with the projects ever since, with help from our federal partners as well as state partners. Of course, we have a program with the city of Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach area that is supported by the Army Corps of Engineers,” Hunsicker said. “The Bradenton Beach area called Coquina and Cortez Beach are not federally supported because they are recreational beaches. There’s really no value behind that sand for a federal interest to protect.”
Hunsicker said there is talk that FEMA may not participate in funding recreational beaches.
“That would be a dramatic shift in responsibilities to the State of Florida and local governments who have recreational beaches,” he said. We have to ponder that as we think about our future budgets.”
Gulf Drive stabilization
Hunsicker addressed Gulf Drive stabilization to protect against storm surge and damage such as that caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
“The Gulf Drive stabilization, this was and still is a non-engineering structure. It’s there to protect wave runoff and protect this road from getting washed away,” Hunsicker said.
He said the current structures were placed in the early 1960s and he showed a slide which stated that Hurricane Helene storm surge and overwash caused severe damage to dunes, the revetment and the roadway.
“Because they were not engineered with a planning permit, we’re not going to get any assistance from FEMA or any government agencies to replace what was there,” Hunsicker said. “So we’re going to need to come back with an engineered structure designed to accommodate our knowledge of rising sea levels over decades and also provide the protection we’re going to need.”
Hunsicker said the choice of materials to protect the road is either rock or seawall.
“The downside is we can’t get through any of these processes without committing about $20 million along that Cortez Beach road section,” he said. “So we put in for a grant application and other activities. We’re going to be trying very hard to make that happen, but remember that $20 million is for that section of Cortez Beach. We really don’t have an alternative.”
Cortez Beach groins, Longboat Pass jetty
In 1957-58, perpendicular erosion control structures called groins were placed on the shoreline of Coquina Beach, Hunsicker said.
“They have deteriorated to the point where it’s not only an embarrassment from the standpoint of a beautiful beach, but is actually a safety hazard,” he said. “If a small child is on this side and the lifeguard tower is on this side, you can’t see them.”
The county is working on a plan to build four offshore breakwaters to deter erosion.
“We have to provide the same erosion protection and our plan coming up next year is to remove all these structures and substitute an offshore breakwater system that will continue to protect the beach but will give a complete and free clear run for public safety, for beach enjoyment, all the way to our central holding pier,” Hunsicker said.
At the south end of Coquina Beach, “The jetty is almost 70 years old. This has held up about as long as it can. We’re going to be removing some of the cross ties, putting in additional rock and a sheetwall right here behind it to be able to continue to rely on this jetty from keeping Coquina Beach from washing up into Longboat Pass,” Hunsicker said. “That’s the purpose of this jetty, to protect the navigational integrity of Longboat Pass to the Gulf of Mexico.”
