Posted on February 21, 2022
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Some Panama City Beach spring breakers this year might have to wait a bit to get the exact spot they want to sunbathe.
Though Panama City Beach’s third largest beach renourishment project ever is mostly done, it’s taken longer than expected and could last into spring break. Officials say the project was delayed by weather and equipment issues but that work is again underway.
“They’ve had some setbacks. … The dredging company had some equipment problems. … The weather this winter, we’ve had some rough water,” said Philip Griffitts, Bay County commissioner and member of the Tourism Development Council. “By late spring, we should be done with the east end.”
The massive project to restore 12 miles of white, sandy beaches after being heavily eroded by Hurricanes Michael and Sally began in September. At the time, the project was expected to take four to five months to complete.
“We’re about 75% done now, I’d say,” Griffitts said.
The $28.5 million, federally funded project calls for the placement of about 2.1 million cubic yards of sand — the equivalent of 424,145,454.5 gallons, enough to fill more than 642 Olympic swimming pools.
The project extends from Pinnacle Port to the PCB City Pier and from St. Andrews State Park (not including the park) to Ocean Towers. The middle of the beach, from the City Pier to Ocean Towers, will not be renourished because it did not experience enough erosion to justify construction.
While not directly receiving sand placement, the middle reach will benefit from the sand placement occurring to the west and east, the TDC has said.
“There will be a break, then we will start at about Rick Seltzer Park and go toward St. Andrews State Park,” Griffitts said of the remaining work for the project. “That’ll take 30, 40, or 50 days. … That shouldn’t take long.”
Because the project is federally funded, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has managed all construction work. The TDC, on behalf of Bay County, has served as the local sponsor for the project and stayed in constant communication and coordination with the Corps of Engineers.
The sand for large-scale beach nourishment projects comes from permitted, offshore “borrow areas.” The main borrow area is located about 1.5 miles offshore of Shell Island and secondary borrow areas are located near the St. Andrews Bay entrance channel.
While this latest project is third largest of its kind ever in PCB, it’s also only the fifth for the area.
The initial restoration in Panama City Beach in 1998-1999 placed about 9.8 million cubic yards of sand along the 18.5 miles of beaches. The 2005-2006 project placed about 3.3 million cubic yards of sand along 17.5 miles of beaches and it was conducted in response to 2004’s Hurricane Ivan.
The 2011 project placed about 1.3 million cubic yards of sand along 7.5 miles of the beaches (east and west ends) and was referred to as a “repair” project, as it was conducted in response to several storms following Hurricane Ivan. That project also formally incorporated a project at Pinnacle Port and Carillon Beach.
The 2017 project placed about 840,000 cubic yards of sand along four project areas — a half-mile at Pinnacle Port/Carillon Beach, a 1-mile segment stretching west from the City Pier, a 1-mile segment stretching west from the County Pier, and a 1-mile segment stretching from the western end of St. Andrews State Park to Gulf Drive/Hurt Street.
Griffitts noted that so far, beachfront property owners have so far been pleased with the renourishment work.
“All property owners are happy when they get sand replaced like that,” Griffitts said.
