Posted on August 14, 2024
FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — If you’re out along Fort Myers Beach, you might see machines and workers out behind Pink Shell Beach Resort. They’re pumping sand from the Gulf onto the beach starting on the north end of the island.
The project officially began over the weekend after being delayed when Tropical Storm Debby hit last week.
Crews are pumping nearly 1 million cubic yards onto the beach along six and a half miles long of shoreline. The goal is to make the beach stronger against storms and improve critical habitats for wildlife.
“They’re dredging sand from about a mile and a half offshore and pumping that onto the beach to bring the sand that comes in like as a slurry. So, mostly water with sand in it and then they pump it into the bermed area and let it de-water, then grab it with the bulldozers,” Chadd Chustz, the town of Fort Myers Beach environmental project manager, said.
The entire project will stretch to the south end of the island near Sandpiper condos. The project is expected to take about six months.
