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Beach renourishment project to help restore coastline on Captiva Island

You can see the latest beach renourishment project from the shore, but we got an even closer look on Thursday. An off-shore dredge collects sand from underwater and pumps it onto the beach.

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Beach renourishment project to help restore coastline on Captiva Island

You can see the latest beach renourishment project from the shore, but we got an even closer look on Thursday. An off-shore dredge collects sand from underwater and pumps it onto the beach.

CAPTIVA ISLAND, Fla. — Every year the beaches change with the tide, and over time they need a boost. “Naturally beaches erode,” Coastal Restoration & Modeling Program Manager Nicole Sharp said, “and beach renourishment is a way of restoring our coastline back to conditions such as prior to hurricanes or natural erosion events.” You can see the latest beach renourishment project from the shore, but we got an even closer look on Thursday. An off-shore dredge collects sand from underwater and pumps it onto the beach. “So it essentially acts like a vacuum and scoops the sand off the seafloor with two dredge arms,” Sharp said.  The dredge pumps out sand around the clock. At night, crews set up lights on the beaches to get the sand in place. It’s how they’ve been able to continue the project ahead of schedule. County and city officials say they’re impressed with the progress and hope future projects get even more support. “We had a discussion today of how we could increase the cost share and participation from the federal government,” said James Evans of the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation. “Hopefully we get more federal funding to help with these projects in the future.” “That’s gonna be the job of myself and my staff,” Congressman Byron Donalds said, “whether it’s the Army Corps or any other agency to communicate with them about the most efficient way Southwest Florida can take advantage of some of those projects.” They say it’s vital to protect the wildlife and the overall economy of Southwest Florida’s shores. “Tourism is really our economic driver here,” Sanibel mayor Holly Smith said, “and we need to make sure that our beaches have the renourishment ability that this project is bringing forward.” The Captiva Erosion Prevention District says the project should be done later this month.

CAPTIVA ISLAND, Fla. — Every year the beaches change with the tide, and over time they need a boost.

“Naturally beaches erode,” Coastal Restoration & Modeling Program Manager Nicole Sharp said, “and beach renourishment is a way of restoring our coastline back to conditions such as prior to hurricanes or natural erosion events.”

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You can see the latest beach renourishment project from the shore, but we got an even closer look on Thursday. An off-shore dredge collects sand from underwater and pumps it onto the beach.

“So it essentially acts like a vacuum and scoops the sand off the seafloor with two dredge arms,” Sharp said. 

The dredge pumps out sand around the clock. At night, crews set up lights on the beaches to get the sand in place. It’s how they’ve been able to continue the project ahead of schedule.

County and city officials say they’re impressed with the progress and hope future projects get even more support.

“We had a discussion today of how we could increase the cost share and participation from the federal government,” said James Evans of the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation. “Hopefully we get more federal funding to help with these projects in the future.”

“That’s gonna be the job of myself and my staff,” Congressman Byron Donalds said, “whether it’s the Army Corps or any other agency to communicate with them about the most efficient way Southwest Florida can take advantage of some of those projects.”

They say it’s vital to protect the wildlife and the overall economy of Southwest Florida’s shores.

“Tourism is really our economic driver here,” Sanibel mayor Holly Smith said, “and we need to make sure that our beaches have the renourishment ability that this project is bringing forward.”

The Captiva Erosion Prevention District says the project should be done later this month.