VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Recent storms and hurricanes have caused a lot of damage in Ponce Inlet.”We basically lost the majority of our dune system,” said Niles Cyzycki with the Volusia Coastal Division.
Trap bags were put in place to help decrease erosion and protect what’s left of the dunes. However, Cyzycki explains they will soon be removed to make way for a project hoping to rebuild the sand dunes.
Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower said the County Council recently approved $7.7 million to use the sand the Army Corps of Engineers will be removing from the intracoastal and inlet.
“We’re using the sand that the hurricanes already washed out … and ended up in the inlet,” said Brower. “They (UACE) got to dredge the inlet so boats can navigate it. So we get to use all that sand.”
Sand that would normally get tossed back into the ocean by the UACE will instead be handed over to the county to rebuild Ponce Inlet dunes.
“Otherwise, we would have had to buy sand,” said Brower. “Now, we don’t have to buy sand.”
The sand collected will be dispersed along the beach. The project will start on Oceanview Avenue and stretch all the way down to the jetty.
Cyzycki says the equipment will make its way onto the beach in March and work will start in April. The dredging will take six to eight months to complete. The shaping of the dunes will be another few months, and then the focus will be on adding vegetation.
“Companies will plant … dune vegetation in hopes that it will, you know, grow and collect more sand and grow over time,” said Cyzycki.
They have a similar project starting in New Smyrna Beach, where they hope to renourish and rebuild the dunes. That project is out for bid and will hopefully start in a few months.
The county is also hosting three community meetings during which residents can give input on long-term coastal resiliency strategies.
All sessions will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the following locations:
- Tuesday, Feb. 25, in Meeting Room 103 at the Ocean Center, 101 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach
- Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the Daytona Beach Shores Community Center, 3000 Bellemead Drive
- Thursday, Feb. 27, in the Ballroom at the Brannon Center, 105 S. Riverside Drive, New Smyrna Beach
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