Keeping Beaches

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... and all that goes with it, for better or worse.

"More sand being dumped on beaches in fight against erosion, despite environmental hurdles
Broward and Palm Beach counties are looking at structural changes to escape cycle of sand-dumping and erosion"

By David Fleshler, Sun Sentinel
March 14, 2010

Fighting beach erosion in South Florida has always been frustrating, as we spend millions to replace sand that literally washes back into the ocean.

Take Delray Beach's record of beach renourishment projects. "We did one in '73, '78, '84, '92, 2002 and an emergency one in 2005 that was to replace the material lost in three hurricanes," said Paul Dorling, planning and zoning director for the city. "Now we're contemplating one at the beginning of 2013."

But such projects are becoming even tougher.

Beach renourishment proposals in Broward and Palm Beach counties face steeper environmental hurdles, a decline in federal funding and, in some areas, the exhaustion of offshore sand sources. This complicates efforts to protect South Florida's major economic asset, the essential draw for tourists and the storm buffer for billions of dollars in waterfront investment.

"It's much more difficult," said Steve Higgins, Broward County's beach erosion administrator. "It's more closely scrutinized by the regulatory agencies, stemming from the increase in protection for reefs. And it costs a lot more money to actually build a project."

Continued at:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/pal...,5786843.story