Posted on February 3, 2025
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The county in November began moving sand to a 3-mile beach stretch between Turtle Trail to Mariner Lane in Indian River Shores. Known as Sector 4, the area represents the next stage of the county’s ongoing effort to keep its beaches healthy and profitable.
The beaches represent $50 million in economic value for the county, according to Natural Resources Director Kylie Yanchula. But adding sand back to the beach may not be the long-term answer.
“Beach construction is expensive and comes with a lot of challenges,” said county Coastal Resource Manager Quintin Bergman. “The projects are designed to last multiple years; however beach renourishment does not solve the problem of coastal erosion. It is a management strategy.”
Dune performance
Despite being a band-aid solution, renourishment is still the county’s best option.
The county must follow a Beach Preservation plan, negating other options, first enacted in 1988 and updated in 2019.
“Beach nourishment is the preferred option for maintaining the county’s eroding coastline over other management strategies,” explained Bergman.
Other options are beach scrapping, nearshore sand placement, sand fencing, seawalls, revetment, groins, breakwaters, reef balls and managed retreat. Each strategy has been rejected, either for its impact on sea turtles, cost, aesthetics or potential to damage the reef a quarter-mile offshore.
In addition to depositing sand, the county installs native, salt-tolerant plants on the newly restored dune to strengthen and help capture windblown sand, said Bergman.
After the dune projects are complete, the county monitors their health for years, and adjusts dunes needs as required, according to Bergman.
Education efforts go a long way in making sure no unforeseen damage comes to the fragile dune ecosystems and minimizes the amount of times the dunes are renourished.
Each sector along the shoreline is a different size, and they’re separated based on erosion rates, natural features and coastal influences such as wave height. The county conducts surveys of each sector during the summer and winter as well as after large storms.
Next phase
“The dunes act as a barrier to waves and storm surges,” explained Bergman. “Behind the dunes are public infrastructure such as roads, parks, utilities, homes and business.
The county completed the $9.6 million Sector 3 renourishment project in April. Next should be Sector 5, beginning next winter. Indian River County has budgeted $8.4 million for that project.
Sector 4 is expected to be completed before April 30, and cost $6.6 million. The scope of the project is to restore vital sand dunes which eroded during hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022.
“Nourishment projects are our best option because they aid in the protection of upland infrastructure, provide recreational space to the public and preserve wildlife habitat,” explained Bergman. “Nourishment is an ongoing process, but it’s required by the beach conditions.”
