Posted on January 9, 2026
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Volusia County beaches are still showing the scars of years of powerful storms, and county leaders are hoping a new sand project underway in New Smyrna Beach will help turn things around.
Crews began pumping sand onto the shoreline this week as part of an effort to rebuild dunes and slow ongoing beach erosion. The project is one of several coastal initiatives happening across the county.
“We’re slurrying and pumping about a half-million cubic yards of sand from Rattlesnake Island onto the beach here in New Smyrna,” said Niles Cyzycki with the Volusia County Coastal Division.
According to Cyzycki, the project starts near Sapphire Road and stretches about five miles south to 5205 S. Atlantic Ave. Construction is expected to last roughly 100 days, and crews will also plant vegetation to help stabilize the rebuilt dunes.
County officials recently completed a similar sand project from Daytona Beach Shores to Ponce Inlet.
For some residents, the sight of sand being pumped onto the beach brings optimism.
“We love sand,” said New Smyrna Beach resident Lindsay Baldwin. “I think sand is definitely the solution to a lot of the problems on the beach.”
Others, however, are watching with cautious curiosity, questioning whether this approach will hold up over time.
“Laying sand right on the beach as opposed to how they did it back in 2018, when they pumped it into the ocean and let it wash in — it’ll be interesting to see if it erodes away with the first few swells,” Baldwin said.
County officials acknowledge that some of the sand will wash away, but say that’s expected and still beneficial.
“That’s just part of the process,” Cyzycki said. “Any sand you can put in the system is a positive thing. Sand in the nearshore system replenishes multiple times during calm conditions, and it’s an integral part of combating ongoing beach erosion.”
While residents like Baldwin say they support adding sand to protect the shoreline, many agree the long-term effectiveness of the project remains to be seen.
“I’m all for more sand,” Baldwin said. “It’s just yet to be determined whether this route of doing it is going to last.”
The project is expected to continue through the spring, with crews working in phases as sand pumping progresses south along the beach.
