New sand is flowing onto the beach at 127th Avenue in Treasure Island in this Aug. 5, 2010 photo of a recent nourishment project. County Commissioners took action Jan. 10 to ensure the future of nourishment projects.
CLEARWATER – Pinellas County Commissioners approved three agenda items on the subject of beach nourishment during their Jan. 10 regular meeting.
The first two, part of the consent agenda, concerned projects at Upham and Sand Key beaches. The third was about the future of projects at Treasure Island.
Upham Beach
Upham Beach, on the north end of St. Pete Beach, is Pinellas County's most rapidly eroding beach, according to staff notes. In 2005-2006, the county built five temporary geotextile T-head groins (geotubes) in an effort to slow erosion nourishment projects.
Due to the success of those structures, the county now proposes to replace the temporary structures with permanent rock T-head groin structures in 2013.
Commissioners on Jan. 10 approved an agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to fund a feasibility study on erosion control structures proposed for Upham Beach. The cost of the $1.3 million project will be split between the U.S. Department of Engineers, scheduled to pay 50 percent, with the remaining balance split between the county and the state. Pinellas County’s share is $339,600 to be paid from the coastal management section of the capital improvement budget.
The study must be done as a requirement by the federal government to determine its level of funding for construction of the permanent structures.
Upham Beach is considered a “feeder” beach by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Nourishment projects benefit not only the area where new sand is added, but also benefit beaches to the south as the sand that erodes is transported south “feeding” beaches on the rest of the island.
Construction of the temporary T-head groin structures was considered an experiment by the state, which required the county to prove the effectiveness in slowing down the erosion before permits would be given for a permanent solution.
County staff and a consultant believe the structures have done their job and the FDEP is supportive of the structures. Thirty months after the 2006 nourishment project, the public beach was 100 feet wider than it would have been without the structures.
“The geotubes significantly slowed the loss of nourished sand,” staff said in its report.
The temporary structures have been repaired several times since the initial installation. They were repaired each year from 2008 to 2010. Staff says the structures are now fully functional with no apparent damage.
Not everyone approves of the construction of erosion-control structures, including the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit group for the protection and enjoyment of oceans, beaches and waves. A consultant employed by Surfrider said in a 2011 report that the structures have been “somewhat successful in retaining sand” but had not met the design goal of nourishment at six-year intervals, as opposed to every four years as has long been the schedule for Upham Beach.
The design of the permanent rock structures was completed in 2011 and a permit application has been submitted. County staff expects the permit to be approved in 2012 or 2013 in time to be constructed during the next nourishment project for Treasure Island and Long Key in 2013.
Sand Key
Commissioners also approved an amendment to an agreement with FDEP for the 2012 Sand Key Beach project, currently scheduled to begin in March. The project will bring in new sand for 8.7 miles of Sand Key Beach, from Clearwater to North Redington Beach, excluding Belleair Shore, which does not have public beach access.
The project will include Belleair Beach, despite concerns that the city may not have sufficient public parking to qualify for state funding in the future.
The cost of the $21 million project will be shared between the county, state and federal government with Pinellas County’s share coming in at just over $4 million. The federal government is expected to pay nearly $13 million.
The original agreement with FDEP was approved in 2007 and has been amended twice. The new agreement approves additional dollars for the project being paid for by the state. The county’s share will be paid for from the coastal management section of the capital improvement program.
Treasure Island
The final matter approved by commissioners looks to the future of funding for beach nourishment projects in Treasure Island. The 50-year authorization period for federal participation in construction and funding for nourishment projects for that city’s beaches expires in 2019.
“Without a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers detailed economic and technical evaluation to assess each project’s need to extend federal participation, Pinellas County would cease receiving federal assistance for our shore protection projects,” a staff report says. “There is no existing procedure allowing the Corps to evaluate the continuation of federal participation in shore protection projects nearing their 50-year expiration dates.”
Staff says a “legislative fix” has been found for the problem but it requires an amendment to the Water Resourced Development Act. Approval of the amendment would allow the Corps to continue with studies to evaluate and assess the need to extend federal participation is ongoing projects.
Staff recommends that the county send letters to Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio urging them to get the necessary amendment before the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for consideration this year. Staff also advises the commission to send a letter to the chair and ranking member of the EPW Committee.
Treasure Island was one of the nation’s first federal coastal storm damage reduction projects. The project was started in 1969 and ends in 2019. The only older project was started in 1965 in Carolina Beach, N.C., and ends in 2015.
County staff says the Carolina Beach project will be a test case to see how the federal government proceeds with extending its participation in beach nourishment projects.
Beach nourishment projects not only are important to sustaining coastal areas for the tourism industry, they ensure adequate protection to the mainland from tropical storms and hurricanes. Without continued support and funding from the federal government, the county’s share of costs to continue nourishment of its beach could become very expensive to taxpayers and visitors.
Pinellas County is a peninsula with nearly 588 miles of coastline. There are 35 miles of sandy beaches on 11 barrier islands. Currently, the county’s share of nourishment projects is paid for from the local tourist development tax.
Federal authorization for Long Key doesn’t expire until 2030, and authorization for Sand Key is good until 2043.
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