Posted on December 9, 2024
Flagler County plans to start the next wave of beach renourishment this spring with an additional 5.5 miles of beach building.
The county will begin what it calls “Reach II” of beach renourishment work starting from North Seventh Street in Flagler Beach and running north to 1,900 feet north of Varn Park, 3665 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., according to a press release from the county’s communication’s coordinator Julie Murphy. Besides Flagler Beach, the section will include Beverly Beach and Painters Hill.
The project follows the completion earlier this year of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers beach renourishment in Flagler Beach.
“We don’t want to lose the momentum we have going with the completion of the Army Corps project,” County Administrator Heidi Petito stated in the release. “We have requested the modification of the permits we have with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps, which will allow us to undertake a comprehensive beach and dune restoration along the entirety of Reach II.”
The initial Reach II project involves dredging 1.8 million cubic yards of sand from offshore. The project is part of the 11.4 miles of “sacrificial dunes” Flagler County completed in December 2023 to protect the coast as an emergency barrier.
Who pays for Flagler County’s Reach II beach renourishment?
- Permitting and Design: $1 million at 100% Florida Department of Environmental Protection funded through a post-Ian and Nicole grant, according to the county press release.
- Reach II construction funds will be about $32 million from FDEP Post-Hurricane Ian and Nicole recovery funds, and about $3 million to $4 million from FEMA from Ian and Nicole (approximately $3 million -$4 million based on market costs at construction time).
Long-term maintenance for Reach II is projected to cost $5,047,300 per year at 50% FDEP funding and 50% local share. That maintenance refers to the money required to pay for beach renourishment every six years, according to Flagler County Coastal Engineering Administrator Ansley Wren-Key.
Also, if there is a disaster declaration, Reach II will be eligible for assistance of 87.5% from FEMA and also assistance from Florida Division of Emergency Management Public Assistance.
Flagler County is seeking FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding, which would save the FDEP money for Reach II so it could be applied to Reach III.
Reach III will begin 1,900 feet north of Varn Park and stretch to Washington Oaks Garden State Park.
Reach I in Flagler Beach was completed in August. Most of Reach I was done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and covered an area from South Sixth Street to South 28th Street. Two Flagler County projects, with a funding contribution from FDOT, stretched the beach renourishment farther on the north to North Seventh Street and on the south to Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area.
What is beach renourishment
Dunes form a barrier which shields communities from storm damage. Beaches “are also a crucial aspect of our tourism industry,” the county’s release stated.
“Flagler County’s pristine beaches are a cornerstone of our community’s quality of life, attracting visitors from around the world,” Petito said. “But these beautiful beaches are susceptible to erosion from storms and natural interactions. Healthy beaches absorb the brunt force of waves, wind, tides, currents and storms allowing dunes to protect infrastructure.”
