Broward To Bulk Up Its Beaches
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Thousands of tons of sand could be brought in at the end of this year to buff up two thinning sections of Broward's coastline.
Broward beaches from northern Fort Lauderdale to southern Pompano Beach may receive deliveries of sand to widen areas along the shore that have suffered from erosion. The restoration will take place in November or December if state and federal permits come through, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
Sunbathers will be able to enjoy and take advantage of about 40 extra feet on the beaches which were thinned by erosion and the passing of Hurricane Sandy.
The project will cost about $44 million and will require about 50,000 dump trucks of sand. The sand used will be mined from ancient beaches in Florida's interior. The sand will then spread over a five mile section just north of Ft. Lauderdale beach.
Broward County's beach erosion administrator Eric Myers told the Sentinel that some beaches will double in size once the project is finished.
A smaller restoration project may be done in the Pompano Beach and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea area as well. If approved, both beaches will receive 115,000 cubic yards of sand to raise the height of the beach by one foot.
The smaller project, being done by the Army Corps of Engineers, will stretch from just south of Hillsboro Inlet to the southern boundary of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. The Corp will pick up the cost of the project.
The $44 million project is said to take about two years and will break for sea turtle nesting season, Myers told the Sentinel. However it could also be held up by a legal challenge from environmentalists that are concerned that the sand will wash into the ocean and bury coral reefs.
