Posted on June 19, 2023
Shoreline Director Kristina Boburka provided information regarding beach renourishment at the most recent meeting of the South Padre Island City Council, on Wednesday, June 7.
According to Boburka, the Army Corps of Engineers have contracted Weeks Marine, a marine construction and dredging organization, to preform maintenance dredging of the Brazos Santiago Pass.
Boburka says this contract includes on-shore beach placement on the Island. In total, 377,000 cubic yards of sand will be moved. 75%, 283,000 cubic yards will be placed within city limits between beach accesses 18 – 23. The other 25%, 94,250 cubic yards, will be placed at Isla Blanca Park, under Cameron County’s jurisdiction.
A trailing suction hopper dredge will be used, according to Boburka, which was also used in 2021.
“The hopper dredge will be offshore connected to a pipe. That pipe will run perpendicular onshore, verses the entire beach having piping on it,” explained Boburka.
Storage for this project, including equipment, is located at Beach Access #22.
“They [Weeks Marine] are going to start storing some more equipment tomorrow, directly on the beach and, hopefully, on Friday, they are going to hook up the subline that is going to run onshore. They’re hoping to start dredging on Monday,” said Boburka.
Weeks Marine plans to finish the southern half of the project, Beach Access #20-21 to 18, before relocating up the Island to complete the northern portion. This was done differently in 2021. According to Boburka, when the dredging work was previously done, 3,000 feet of piping was placed down the length of the project. This year, only half of that amount of piping will be used, due to this change.
