Posted on January 10, 2022
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Public beach access at Turtle Trail closed this week as work continues to restore the hurricane-damaged beach dunes.
Turtle Trail Beach Access, which closed Wednesday, is the latest of the beaches to close after restoration work resumed in November. The work, which began last year, was suspended between April and November because of sea turtle nesting season.
Turtle Trail Beach Access and Seagrape Trail Beach Access, which has been closed since Oct. 29, are expected to remain closed until May 1.
Turtle Trail was closed a day earlier than planned because the weather has made it easier for the contractor to make progress on the project, county spokesperson Kathleen Forst said in a statement.
The $14.2 million restoration project includes pumping about 280,000 cubic yards of sand along a 2.9-mile stretch of beach between Wabasso Beach Park and northern John’s Island to create a wider beach. More than 302,000 native plants are being planted on the dunes. Most of the funding for the project comes from the state Department of Environmental Protection and tourism taxes.
Since 2016, hurricanes Matthew, Irma and Dorian have caused about $10.9 million damage in beach erosion.
Work on the first phase of the project, between Wabasso Beach and just north of Treasure Shores, finished last month. Treasure Shores reopened Dec. 15 after being closed almost two months to finish pumping the remaining 30,000 cubic feet of sand on the north end, Forst said.
Beach restoration projects in other parts of the county have been stymied when too many property owners refused to allow beach access to complete the work.
