Posted on August 25, 2025
Construction will begin in the coming days on Pinellas County’s emergency beach nourishment project, which will include much of Sand Key, Treasure Island and Upham Beach. Work will begin at 197th Avenue in Indian Shores with installation of the pipeline. As of today, 16 properties within the first work zone will not receive sand in their easement areas because the owners have not provided temporary construction easements.
Indian Shores will remain mostly open during construction, although sections of the beach and parking areas will close temporarily when the contractor is in the immediate area. Residents and visitors are urged to stay clear of the active construction zone.
The Pinellas County Commission authorized funding from the Tourist Development Tax (hotel bed tax) for one-time emergency nourishment from Clearwater Beach to North Redington Beach on Sand Key, along with Treasure Island and Upham Beach. The tentative construction schedule and map for the full project area can be found at Pinellas.gov/PCBeaches. Residents can also text PCBEACHES to 888777 to receive alerts with key project updates.
The Sand Key portion of the project will be constructed with gaps because the County has not been able to obtain more than 100 temporary construction easements. This includes more than 40 easements from Indian Shores residents. In areas where the County has not obtained temporary easements, sand will still be placed landward of the Erosion Control Line (ECL). This will leave some low areas on the landward side of the ECL where sand would have been placed had easements been obtained. Easements are still being accepted. Interested parties contact the County through signforsand@pinellas.gov. If construction has already occurred past a property owner who has not signed, it will be too late for that property owner to sign an easement to receive sand.
As a reminder, sea turtle nesting season is ongoing through October. Pinellas County and our contractor will work closely with our partners to minimize disruptions to nests within the project area. More information on sea turtle nesting season can be found at https://pinellas.gov/sea-turtle-protection/.
The project will involve dredging sand from portions of Egmont Shoal, Pass-a-Grille, Blind Pass and John’s Pass. Boaters are advised to use caution around the dredging area and follow all local notices to mariners.
The $125.7 million project will mostly be funded by the hotel bed tax, paid by visitors, plus at least $11 million of state grant funding. Previous projects benefitted from a 65 percent federal cost-share through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but without Army Corps-compliant easements from all property owners, the County is not currently eligible for federal funding.
