Posted on September 2, 2024
A critically eroded beach got a major facelift, and it was done just in time for Labor Day weekend.
“I like the white sand,” Cindy Gruber, Flagler Beach resident, said. “It’ll be softer and… I don’t think it erodes as much. I think it’s going to be perfect.”
Flagler Coastal Engineering administrator Ansley Wren-Key said the first thing people will notice is how much wider the beach is.
It’s about triple the size when compared to the northern, narrower end that didn’t get re-nourished.
“We have a big wide hundred-foot– the 140-foot-wide beach,” she said.
To make this possible, crews pumped sand offshore and onto the beach. This allowed them to extend the beach, but it also lost its unique orange color.
However, we’re told the sand won’t stay this white-grayish tone forever. It’ll eventually mix in with the existing coquina sand and regain that bronzy color.
While they wait for that to happen, all they are is thankful. They now have an additional barrier to help protect A1A and nearby homes.
“So small coastal storms like nor’easters are going to erode this … elevated beach, and the water’s not going to get up to the dune,” Wren-Key said.
A project many felt was well overdue.
“I think everything was needed,” Gruber said. “I think the whole restoration of the beach is just beautiful.
The next steps include installing sand fencing, planting the dunes, and placing protective rope barriers.
The plan is then to extend this project and renourish other sections of Flagler beaches as early as next year.
Come October, work will start to rebuild the iconic wooden Flagler Beach pier.
