Lee County

Rotating group of photos displaying different facets of shore protection work with beaches, equipment, buildings, and sand being distributed

Lee County, Beach Erosion Control Project

The Gasparilla Island Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Project includes renourishing approximately 2.8 miles of shoreline approximately every seven years. Hurricane Irma impacted Gasparilla Island in 2017, reducing sand volume and eroding the northern portion of the project. Flood Control and Coastal Emergency (FCCE) supplemental funding in 2018 will allow Jacksonville District to dredge and place about 161,000 cubic yards of sand on 1.4 miles of eroded beach, bringing it to full restoration. In a cooperative effort, 159,000 cubic yards of additional sand placement will also be completed on 0.4 miles of eroded beach at the south end of the island using funds from Lee County, the local sponsor, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Work will also include beach tilling, pipeline corridor hardbottom mapping, construction vibration controls and monitoring, turbidity monitoring, environmental species monitoring,  beach fill remediation, and any incidental related work. The project will not use hopper dredges.

Download the updated Gasparilla Island fact sheet for maps and project schedule information.

Current Project Description: Beach material will be dredged from a borrow area located in the shoal to the north of Boca Grande Pass and piped onto the beach.  Work begins May 13, and once started, construction operations will run 24 hours a day, however work delays may occur due to mechanical problems or inclement weather. The beach will remain open to residents and visitors outside the work areas. The portion of the beach in active construction will close temporarily. Pedestrian crossovers will be built over the pipeline in intervals for public access to the ocean.  Without delays, construction should move an average of about 500 feet (one to two city blocks) along the beach each day and the beach should be clear of all equipment and materials by June 22.

Location: Located along the southwest coast of Florida, the Lee County Beach Erosion Control Project authorizes sand placement on three barrier islands, including Gasparilla Island.

Status: Jacksonville District awarded a $6,428,820 contract April 23, 2019, to Weeks Marine of Cranford, NJ, for the work. Read the news release on the contract award.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers received disaster funds provided in Public Law 115-123, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. The act provides nearly $17.4 billion to the Corps for disaster recovery. Jacksonville District received $3.348 billion for long-term recovery investments in its area of responsibility, which includes Florida, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. This funding will go towards 13 studies and 22 projects that will reduce risk to communities damaged by storm events. The total Federal funding allocation for Jacksonville District recovery efforts so far, including six FCCE projects, exceeds $4 billion.

Last updated: April 24, 2019