Posted on July 6, 2026
By Ana Alice
The fourth intervention at Central Beach of Balneário Piçarras reignited the debate on beach widening works in Santa Catarina, after new records of erosion and scarps in the newly widened area.
The advance of the sea over the Central Beach of Balneário Piçarras, on the North Coast of Santa Catarina, has once again put the effectiveness of sand strip widening works in the state up for debate.
The most recent intervention began on January 23, 2026, was completed on April 16, and received more than 493 thousand cubic meters of sand, with an investment exceeding R$ 53 million.
Less than two months later, records made at the beginning of June showed a retreat of the widened strip and the formation of scarps in sections of the newly intervened area.
The work was carried out between the Piçarras River jetty and the region after the Getúlio Vargas Avenue jetty.
According to information released at the conclusion of the work, the project reached 2.43 kilometers in length and expanded the average width of the sand strip by about 30 meters.
The sand used was taken from an underwater deposit located approximately 10.5 kilometers from the coast, near Ponta da Vigia, in Penha.
The 2026 intervention was the fourth nourishment carried out at Central Beach in 27 years.
The previous stages occurred in 1998, 2008, and 2012, according to the history cited by publications on the case.
Before the new work, the beach had already received about 2.1 million cubic meters of sediments.
