On December 29th, President Biden signed into law the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill that included Energy & Water and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was great news for the AIWW and all along Marine Highway 95! We want to provide a breakdown of the final funding amounts for the AIWW/IWW/NJIWW along with the Additional… Read More
The year 2022 will be remembered across the U.S. for its devastating flooding and storms – and also for its extreme heat waves and droughts. By October, the U.S. had already seen 15 disasters causing more than $1 billion in damage each, well above the average. The year started and ended with widespread severe winter storms from… Read More
The Newport Beach Commission will be holding its first meeting of the year on January 4, 2023, at 5:00 PM at 35 Golden Hill Street. The agenda for the meeting includes a review of the minutes from the December 7, 2022 meeting, as well as a beach report from Erik Reis. Under old business, the… Read More
Congress has approved the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which addresses the need to shore up Sandwich beaches with material dredged from the Cape Cod Canal. The bill was signed shortly before Christmas and now awaits the President’s signature. Since the cause of the shore damage has been found to be the result of jetties… Read More
The Mashpee Department of Public Works began adding 2,000 tons of sand to the dune on South Cape Beach yesterday, Thursday, December 29. The restoration efforts are addressing erosion from the storm that hit the Upper Cape late last week. The parking lot at South Cape Beach used to be level with the beach, DPW… Read More
As we begin 2023, maritime experts are looking into their crystal balls for the trends that might define the year. Of course, decarbonization will remain at the center of the debate, with shipping stakeholders yet to agree on an equitable approach to cut the sector’s carbon emissions. Specifically, 2023 could be a definitive year for… Read More
While crews finish final details of a widespread St. Johns County beach repair project, county officials are considering work next year to undo erosion from Tropical Storms Ian and Nicole. “In five to six months, we could see construction happening,” said Stephen Hammond, a coastal environmental project manager for the county, although he stressed that key steps still have to happen… Read More
Roger Gendron recalled when nearly eight feet of floodwaters inundated his home and tore down the first floor ceiling while he and his family huddled upstairs during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Gendron’s home has since been rebuilt. But his community of Hamilton Beach, which sits on the Jamaica Bay, is plagued by up to a… Read More
Proposed carbon capture projects continue to draw controversy and public backlash in Louisiana, but Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards remained adamant this week that the practice is a “safe” way to reduce the state’s industrial emissions. About 50 Louisiana residents traveled to Baton Rouge on Tuesday to speak in opposition to a global gas supply… Read More
The total amount of microplastics deposited at the bottom of oceans has tripled in the past two decades with a progression that corresponds to the type and volume of consumption of plastic products by society. The historical evolution of this pollution source in the sediment compartment, and particularly the sequestration and burial rate of smaller… Read More
The Fort Myers Beach we all know and love will never be the same after Hurricane Ian. People on the island say the last three months have been a struggle, but things are getting cleaned up, and people are coming back. There’s a lot of hope on Fort Myers Beach. People there know they lost… Read More
The state has paid $36 million to Tallgrass, an energy infrastructure company, for the rights to purchase about 500 acres of land in Plaquemines Parish that includes the site of the proposed Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. Tallgrass, a company that last year cancelled plans to build a $2 billion, 20-million-barrel crude oil export terminal on the property on… Read More
Dare County residents and property owners will have an opportunity to meet with officials to discuss the erosion affecting Hatteras Island. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18 in the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Building at 23646 N.C. 12 in Rodanthe, just south of Myrna Peters Road. To attend virtually, register online before the meeting. Dare… Read More
A massive beach restoration project has been fast-tracked by the Collier County Commission. “We have a regular beach renourishment beach resiliency program that’s in place, but it’s very slow — it’s very arduous. We don’t want to be in a position where we are barren before another Hurricane season comes along,” said Bill McDaniel, the… Read More
Dane County’s ongoing watershed improvement program “Suck the Muck” pulled an estimated 25,000 pounds of sediment from area creeks and streams as part of an effort to improve water quality and reduce the risk of future floods. The purpose of the county’s efforts is two-fold: dredge phosphorous-filled sediment from area waterways to prevent algal blooms… Read More