Posted on April 21, 2025
Captiva Island is gearing up for another hurricane season, but efforts to protect its beaches are facing delays.
Beach renourishment is a key strategy for safeguarding this vulnerable barrier island, which still shows signs of damage from recent hurricane seasons.
An emergency meeting at the Captiva Civic Association revealed that mechanical issues have caused delays in the beach renourishment project. The Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company is awaiting parts from Europe to repair one of their machines.
Nicole, a spokesperson at the meeting, shared some positive news.
“It appears that the mechanical issue the dredge was having has been resolved,” said Nicole.
Captiva’s beaches are a major tourist draw, making their restoration crucial. The Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company plans to begin work soon.
“Great Lakes is anticipating mobilizing to the project site in July, and they’re anticipating pumping sand onto the beaches on August 14,” said Nicole.
While the Aug. 14 start date is firm, it comes just 45 days after the beginning of hurricane season. However, the company may arrive sooner if they finish their current project in New Jersey early.
“Great Lakes is trying to look for efficiencies, seeing if they can recover any time during the end of the New Jersey project to scale here quicker,” said Nicole, “but I think Great Lakes and their project sponsor land is very committed to getting to the island.”
Residents and visitors might notice preparations starting in July.
“They’ll be bringing shore pipe bulldozers. You’ll start seeing crews out on the beach. They’ll be doing measurements,” said Nicole.
A map detailing the exact locations of the work on the island is still pending. The Great Lakes team will provide this information to Captiva authorities as soon as it’s available.
