Posted on January 23, 2025
Much more sand is on the way along the midsection of Brevard County beaches, long denied the massive sand-pumping projects that fattened the shores that surround.
For some beach replenishment critics, the new sand never looks the same as the current beach, costs way too much, and is always on its way back out to sea. To others living along the dunes, though, any new sand is a sight made in homeowner’s heaven — their best insurance against the next big storm.
How much does it cost us, when will it be done?
The ongoing $47.6 million federal project — contracted to Dutra Dredging, of San Rafael, California — aimed to restore more sand to Brevard’s so-called Mid Reach beach in 2024 but was delayed for several weeks because of problems with the contractor’s dredge. Citing that reason and “delays in equipment availability,” in March the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced plans to focus on building back mostly just the dunes along that stretch of shoreline, instead of the flatter part of the beach.
The Corps only has until April 30, though, when all work on the beach has to stop because of endangered and threatened sea turtle nesting. Legally, the project couldn’t restart until the nesting season ended in November.
The project, expected to be complete by April 2025, was fully funded by federal emergency appropriations because the beach erosion was attributed to hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022.
What about that nearshore coquina reef?
The Mid Reach beach renourishment, which spans from Pineda Causeway south to Flug Avenue in Indialantic, had been left out of the larger federal sand-pumping projects from Cape Canaveral to Melbourne Beach over the past few decades, because the federal government protects the offshore coquina rock outcroppings there as “essential fish habitat.” The rock provides shelter for fish and substrate for Sabellariid, a rare marine worm that creates bulbous structures that bulk up the reef habitat.
To offset any impacts to the natural reef, the county’s larger-scale renourishments along this stretch of beach first were required to build an artificial reef nearby. But it remains uncertain whether the artificial reef will support as much marine life in the long run as any natural reef that’s destroyed during the sand filling.
Some still fret over reef impacts, cost and sand quality
Years of multi-million-dollar beach renourishment projects armed Brevard’s beaches against hurricane onslaughts. Chief among those was this $47.6 million project, which in early 2024 began restoring beach and dunes along 11.5 miles from Pineda Causeway to South Spessard Holland Park, shores eroded by Hurricane Ian and Tropical Storm Nicole in 2022.
Some anglers and environmentalists have for decades raised concerns about the reef impacts and the quality of sand put on the beach. Sandra Sullivan, a local environmental activist from South Patrick Shores, has for years taken officials to task over those issues and the ballooning costs.
“This will be compounded with increasingly depleted sand sources and, statistically increased CAT (category) 3-5 hurricanes,” Sullivan said. “The question is at what point does beach renourishment become fiscally unfeasible on barrier islands?”
County officials point to economic cost-benefit studies that show such beach renourishment projects more than pay off in property protection and tourism. Some state studies show the return on investment can be more than five times each tax dollars spent.
Regarding the sand quality, Mike McGarry, the county’s beach renourishment coordinator, said via email: “The intention was to use offshore sand dredged from Canaveral Shoals, as was started a year ago, but Dutra’s dredge had a significant engine room fire in November 2024 putting it out of commission.
“With no alternate dredge available the decision was made to use upland sand,” McGarry added. “Upland sand was already considered as an option for the Mid Reach, and permitted. This change in strategy allowed the beach to be built before the 2025 hurricane season, a priority.”
