Eastern SoWal beach restoration

http://www.floridacapitalnews.com/erosion/



Lots of interesting stuff in this website - thanks for posting it.

WOW! That's big news!
I'm assuming "ancient beaches" means "clean white sand." Pickel always said the issue with Seacrest restoration was they hadn't yet found a pocket of white sand close enough to the area to be able to afford to barge it in...Destin was the closest at that point, and it just wasn't cost effective. I will wait for a little more info before I do the happy dance, but this is good stuff.

WOW! That's big news!!!!
I'm assuming "ancient beaches" means "clean white sand." Pickel always said the issue with Seacrest restoration was they hadn't yet found a pocket of white sand close enough to the area to be able to afford to barge it in...Destin was the closest at that point, and it just wasn't cost effective. I will wait for a little more info before I do the happy dance, but this is good stuff.

He has said they have found plenty of high-quality sand available which was the first hurdle. The permitting process takes a couple of years.

Also, they may not restart the current project until November or December instead of October 1, since cooler water would mean less chance of killing turtles.

"High quality sand" doesn't mean identical sand. Take a look at the restoration in Bay and Walton County. It's not that squeaky snow-white quartz sand.

People want a temporary solution that will permanently change the beach in a detrimental way.

Instead of thinking of the coming hurricanes in the next five years, think of the ten or twenty years that it could take for natural restoration. In the meantime, if man made structures wash away, so be it.

If the sand deposits are off Sandestin and Seacrest - won't it be the same sand?

I walked the restored area in April while they were working on it and it looked good to me - but then I am no sand expert.

Critics of dredging say once you start it is a never ending process. PCB and Pensacola have done it more than once and the sand is getting coarser and darker.

At some point in an ongoing dredging process in SoWal, the supply of premium sand will be gone and a decision will be made to stop, or not.

What Kurt said. At some point, the question comes, "do you want brown sand or no beaches?" Personally, I love seeing the white sand, but I am happy with whatever Mother Nature does with the color of the sand. I just hate to see Man trying to make nature "perfect" to suit his needs. We need to learn to move and flow with nature. We are not permanent fixtures and the Earth doesn't revolve around us. Go out and seek the Earth. Touch it. Feel it. Absorb it with your mind. Get connected. I dare you!

The sand that has been located for the remaining sections of beaches have been determined to be 7/2 and better. There are pockets of material that are whiter than 7/2 within the overall area but we are looking to fine tune the offshore borrow areas with additional sampling.

For more information go to www.protectwaltoncountybeaches.com and look under future beach initaitives. The initial page is the current state of the investigation. There are two additional links on the left navigation bar that include a pdf of possible restoration areas with the underlying critically eroded beaches, and a press release regarding the upcoming workshop to discuss the possible restoration areas, sand source information and the post-Dennis state of the beaches.

Brad Pickel
Director of Beach Management
Walton County TDC

What is the grade of the original sand?
Thanks.

By DOTTY NIST

With an offshore sand source now identified, the restoration of Walton County's central and eastern beaches could start by 2008 or 2009, according to Brad Pickel, beach management coordinator for the South Walton Tourist Development Council (TDC).

Pickel said consultants looked for suitable sand all through 2005 and 2006. Just last month, large sand deposits, the remains of ancient beaches, were discovered offshore from the Sandestin/Topsail Preserve and Camp Creek areas, but much work remains to be done if the estimated $65 million project is to begin within the next couple of years. TDC consultants are continuing to collect sand samples. Pickel said 70-100 more "cores" will be taken from proposed sand source areas. A joint state/federal coastal permit will be required. Pickel expects the application procedure to take over a year, possibly two years.

Another challenge will be the fact that some of the county's most eroded beachfront areas are short sections lying next to state park property and other property that is not designated as critically eroded. Only property so designated is eligible for matching state restoration funding. Pickel said that restoring a short 1000-foot section of beach "does not work."

The Walton County Beach Nourishment Committee is therefore recommending restoring continuous sections wherever possible, even if that means restoring across state park land or other property not eligible for state matching funding.

It will be necessary to seek state approval for restoration on the park properties.

The TDC is generating $2 million per year for beach restoration through a portion of the bed tax collected on short-term rentals in south Walton County, but restoration is expected to cost $4 million per mile.

Pickel said the TDC is looking at doing a bond to finance the project, using the $2 million per year as a revenue stream, with the state expected to pick up part of the project cost. What may be most helpful costwise is that once the beach restoration is completed, the local expense to renourish the beach after storm damage will be only 12.5 percent.

The TDC has scheduled a workshop to present information and seek public input on the proposed restoration along CR-30A. The meeting will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 13 in the Azalea Room at the Baytowne Conference Center, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.

Meanwhile, the western Walton County beach restoration project, which was suspended by state officials last month due to the loss a fourth federally-protected sea turtle, remains on hold until October at the earliest. Seventy percent of the almost five-mile Walton County project area had been completed, and about 50 percent of the total project, which included about two miles of Destin beach.

Pickel said the project contractor has demobilized from the area, but does want to finish the project once Walton County and Destin are able to begin restoration again. It may be possible to continue with the existing contract, but costs may be different due to the delay. Walton County and Destin representatives are discussing these matters with the state and with the contractor.

Pickel said the city and county may want to consider delaying the restart of the project past Oct. 1, since the gulf waters will still be very warm at that point, resulting in the presence of more sea turtles offshore. There would likely be less chance of "taking" additional turtles while dredging if restoration were to begin in November or December.

The sand that is being used from Sandestin west to Henderson State Park is coming from an area about a half a mile from East Pass in Destin.

I hate to say it, but sand quality has been an issue on the 30-A beaches. I really think if quality sand was found near Sandestin, the county would not be paying so much for the sand used in the current restoration to be brought in from Destin.

I am sure the reason the Destin sand is being used is that the City of Destin is part of the project and will not allow darker sand to be deposited on the beaches. In fact, only white sand can be brought past John Avenue even on building projects.

$65-million Smackers!!

Now let's see... (picks up handy, dandy HP 10BII financial calculator)

with inflation <tap, tap, enter>
increased labor costs <tap, tap, tap, enter>
increased fuel costs <tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, enter>
administrative Who-Ha <tap, tap, tap, enter>
political payola <tap, tap, tap, tap, enter>
legal fees to fight opposition <tap, tap, enter>
turtle wrangler teams <tap, tap, tap, enter>
dead turtle disposal <tap, tap, enter>
sand color approval committee <tap, tap, tap, tap, enter>
floor mats <tap, tap, enter>
undercoating <tap, tap, tap, tap, enter>

...that comes toooooo <CALC, enter>

<organ music, fade to black>

Tune in next year for the updated cost.....bring your checkbook and keep your back to the wall.

(If you stacked 65-million $1-bills, the stacks would be equal to about 70+ 20-story beach condos or 21,666 feet--personally I think we should just spread the $65,000,000 onto the beach instead of the sand...wouldn't that be a tourist attraction! Then do it again, and again, and again, just like we'll have to do with the sand )

Does anyone know the typical grade of unmolested sand versus the grade 7 mentioned above?

As Sonny and Cher sang back in ancient history, "And the beat goes on."

I see more and more sand (most of which is darker than what existed two years ago) being eroded from the new seawalls. I have seen very few seawalls that were covered with sand in April that now aren't showing the underlying structure below. And someone who built one of these seawalls for his beachfront home told me that the sand alone cost him about $40K.

The $and, my friend, is blowing in the wind. The $and is blowing in the wind.

My apologies to Mr. Bob Dylan for misquoting him.

By DOTTY NIST

With an offshore sand source now identified, the restoration of Walton County's central and eastern beaches could start by 2008 or 2009, according to Brad Pickel, beach management coordinator for the South Walton Tourist Development Council (TDC).

Pickel said consultants looked for suitable sand all through 2005 and 2006. Just last month, large sand deposits, the remains of ancient beaches, were discovered offshore from the Sandestin/Topsail Preserve and Camp Creek areas, but much work remains to be done if the estimated $65 million project is to begin within the next couple of years. TDC consultants are continuing to collect sand samples. Pickel said 70-100 more "cores" will be taken from proposed sand source areas. A joint state/federal coastal permit will be required. Pickel expects the application procedure to take over a year, possibly two years.

Another challenge will be the fact that some of the county's most eroded beachfront areas are short sections lying next to state park property and other property that is not designated as critically eroded. Only property so designated is eligible for matching state restoration funding. Pickel said that restoring a short 1000-foot section of beach "does not work."

The Walton County Beach Nourishment Committee is therefore recommending restoring continuous sections wherever possible, even if that means restoring across state park land or other property not eligible for state matching funding.

It will be necessary to seek state approval for restoration on the park properties.

The TDC is generating $2 million per year for beach restoration through a portion of the bed tax collected on short-term rentals in south Walton County, but restoration is expected to cost $4 million per mile.

Pickel said the TDC is looking at doing a bond to finance the project, using the $2 million per year as a revenue stream, with the state expected to pick up part of the project cost. What may be most helpful costwise is that once the beach restoration is completed, the local expense to renourish the beach after storm damage will be only 12.5 percent.

The TDC has scheduled a workshop to present information and seek public input on the proposed restoration along CR-30A. The meeting will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 13 in the Azalea Room at the Baytowne Conference Center, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.

Meanwhile, the western Walton County beach restoration project, which was suspended by state officials last month due to the loss a fourth federally-protected sea turtle, remains on hold until October at the earliest. Seventy percent of the almost five-mile Walton County project area had been completed, and about 50 percent of the total project, which included about two miles of Destin beach.

Pickel said the project contractor has demobilized from the area, but does want to finish the project once Walton County and Destin are able to begin restoration again. It may be possible to continue with the existing contract, but costs may be different due to the delay. Walton County and Destin representatives are discussing these matters with the state and with the contractor.

Pickel said the city and county may want to consider delaying the restart of the project past Oct. 1, since the gulf waters will still be very warm at that point, resulting in the presence of more sea turtles offshore. There would likely be less chance of "taking" additional turtles while dredging if restoration were to begin in November or December.

Please post where this article was published.

Thanks.

Dotty works for the beach breeze.

renourishment is a misnomer

I've already put my two cents in on the thread, "Your help needed for beach restoration funding" but I'll say it again, better planning and setback lines for building are what is needed. Once you put inferior sand in place it's there for good or until another hurricane puts you back to square one.

In Panama City Beach and Miami Beach sand was pumped in about 20 years ago and it is obvious to anyone who remembers the original sand.

Spending millions every year is fruitless. The beaches have existed for eons and if nature is allowed to take it's course they do come back . There's a constant ebb and flow. Why do you think St. Andrews State Park, Grayton State Park and others don't need renourishment? They have dunes in place with sea oats. And they don't have property owners screaming about property rights.

The dunes may be somewhat flattened for a time and it may take five, ten or more years but they will come back.

We can blame past and present commissioners and ourselves for allowing building so close to the water. Now in the name of tourism we want to "renourish" the beach. Please refer to my diatribe on the "your help needed post" on why the public's rights should outweigh those of visitors and special interest groups.

By Rachel Kyler

Due to critical erosion on area beaches, the county is actively searching for compatible sand for an upcoming restoration project. A study commissioned by the Tourist Development Council has revealed that 14.3 miles of beaches throughout the county has suffered extensive beach erosion, said Director of Beach Management Brad Pickel. Areas near Old Seagrove Beach, Blue Mountain Beach, Inlet Beach and Dune Allen Beach are some of the most critically eroded areas, Pickel said. Currently, Taylor Engineering, Inc. is looking for sites that would yield the approximately 10 million cubic yards of sand needed to start a project in the eastern portion of the county. The recent Walton-Destin restoration project involved about 3 million cubic yards of sand that came from a barrow pit in East Pass. However, that site has been ?exhausted,? said Mike Trudnak, a senior engineer with Taylor.
Currently, the county has identified four potential sand sites near Four-Mile Village, Eastern Lake and Seacrest, Pickel said. However, further investigation has to be done to determine sand availability and quality.
The sand quality is a bit darker, but over time the sun will bleach the new sand to match the native beach sand, Trudnak said.
People are often surprised at how hard and intensive the procedure for finding sand is, Pickel said. The county can?t define any projects or begin the permitting process until it?s determined what type of sand is available.
?It really takes a process,? he said.
?The county has beautiful beaches and we want to put beautiful sand on the beach,? Trudnak said.