Surfside

Surfside The Surfside beach renourishment project is part of the Miami-Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection Project. In order to address critical beach erosion in Surfside, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in coordination with Miami-Dade County and the Town of Surfside, will place approximately 330,000 cubic yards of beach quality sand, hauled by truck from an upland mine, to renourish the public beach in Surfside.

 

Surfside Beach Renourishment FAQs

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 What is the beach renourishment project?

The beach renourishment project is part of the Miami-Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection Project. In order to address critical beach erosion in
Surfside, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in coordination with Miami-Dade County and the Town of Surfside, will place approximately 330,000 cubic yards of beach quality
sand, hauled by truck from an upland mine, to renourish the public beach in Surfside. It is important to note these are approximate figures pending contracting and permitting.

 What is the purpose of this project?

The beach renourishment project provides coastal storm risk management, including beach erosion control and hurricane surge protection. Adding sand to the coastal
system helps to keep the erosive power of strong waves from reaching dunes and structures, and buffers against the effects of seasonal and major storms like hurricanes;
thereby protecting coastal properties, preserving wildlife, and supporting tourism and the economy.T

 Where will the beach renourishment take place?

The beach renourishment is expected to take place on the beach between 87th Terrace and 96th Street. Both 88th and 96th Streets could potentially serve as access points.
Storage of equipment will be potentially located at 89th and 92nd Streets, just west of the sand “hard pack.” During active construction, residents, visitors and businesses
should expect truck and construction equipment activity along the trucking route, access and staging areas, and on the beach, including temporary limited access to some areas
during construction. The community can track anticipated and completed construction activity using construction progress maps posted to the Corps website at
www.saj.usace.army.mil/surfside, and on social media via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleDistrict/

 What about public safety?

Public safety is our first priority. Due to safety concerns, some beach access areas will be closed and public access to the beach will be restricted and/or redirected during the project. Because of extensive activity during the course of this project, motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and beach goers are asked to use caution along Collins and Harding Avenues in Surfside, and follow the construction signs and fencing along the beach.

 Where is the sand being sourced?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers only has a few Florida Department of Environmental Protection approved sand sources that must comply with state, county and federal requirements. Vulcan Construction Materials, Inc. Witherspoon Sand Mine, which has a proven track record for safety, health and environmental stewardship, is the selected vendor for this project. Sand sourced from Vulcan has been placed successfully during several recent truck haul projects in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. The sand is rinsed to remove silt and fine particles, and dried and sorted utilizing a classifying tank to meet contract specifications. The beach fill also undergoes periodic inspections before leaving the mine, as well as ongoing observations during placement of the sand on the beach, including grain size, color and carbonate content. Additionally,the contractor is required to ensure beach fill material are in compliance with the contract requirements and to document all inspections through daily reports.

 How will sea turtles be protected during the beach renourishment?

In coordination with Miami-Dade County, a person permitted by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to monitor sea turtle activity, will conduct daily visual inspections of the beach and sea turtle monitoring daily during sea turtle nesting season. If the Miami-Dade County Sea Turtle Conservation Program is authorized by FWC to relocate nests under their permit conditions, nests discovered shall be safely relocated to a nearby self-release beach location. Artificial lighting and/or other disturbances shall not interfere with successful incubation, hatching or hatchling orientation at the new nest site. After daily environmental species monitoring and sea turtle nest relocations have been completed and the area has been cleared, beach work will commence. However, operations in the area delineated by the turtle observer will cease if sea turtles are present at any time.

 Where can I receive more information?

Project updates will be made available at: www.saj.usace.army.mil/surfside, on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleDistrict/ and on Twitter @JaxStrong.

The Town of Surfside will provide frequent updates on the Town website at www.townofsurfsidefl.gov, via the monthly Town Gazette, e-blasts, Channel 663, and other communication channels including Nextdoor. Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host a series of public meetings at Town Hall to help answer questions and address any concerns. Public meetings were held on Wednesday, February 13, 2019 and Thursday, June 6, 2019 in the Town Hall Commission Chambers.

 When will the beach renourishment occur?

The Corps anticipates the earliest possible start for the project would be July/August 2019. The tentative summer schedule is Monday through Thursday from 7 am to 7 pm; Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Construction is prohibited on Sundays and select holidays. Winter hours may vary due to daylight savings time.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018

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 the U.S. Virgin Islands. This funding will go toward 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 exceeds $4 billion.