USACE Jacksonville Vilano Beach project completes sand placement
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, team conducting the re-nourishment of Vilano Beach, St. Johns Co., completed placement of some 1.1 million cubic yards of sand along the three-mile reach of critically eroded shoreline Dec. 10, 2023. Demobilization of equipment will continue for the several weeks; planting of dune vegetation along the beach will continue into January. Sand was dredged from an offshore, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management designated borrow area and pumped on to the beach, where it was transported via a pipeline and distributed by heavy equipment to re-construct segments of the federal project template, moving north to south 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The planting of selected vegetation species, intended to stabilize dunes and strengthen shoreline resilience, will continue in the new year. The staging areas will remain an active work zones through completion of equipment mobilization; please exercise caution to ensure public safety. Enjoy the beach!
St. Johns County Coastal Storm Risk Management Project Overview
The ocean shoreline of St. Johns County is approximately 42 miles long.
The initial construction of the Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, completed in 2021, included both dune and beach berm construction along some 2.6 miles of the coastline from South Ponte Vedra Beach to Vilano Beach. Approximately 1.3 million cubic yards of sand, dredged from shoals within St. Augustine Inlet, were placed on shore.
The next beach nourishment, which will address the 2022 impact of Tropical Storms Ian and Nicole, will be 100 percent funded by the federal government under a Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies authority. Jacksonville District plans to complete all permitting coordination with its partner agencies by March 1, 2023 and award a contract for the project by the end of June.
Beach placement of sand from the permitted offshore borrow area is expected to begin in September 2023 and be completed by the middle of March 2024.
Future periodic nourishment events are planned at multi-year intervals.