Vandals delay Upham Beach renourishment
Article published on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005 |
ST. PETE BEACH – Vandals recently cut open four of the six parallel temporary tubes that were installed at Upham Beach as part of the Geotextile T-Groin Project, according to a release from Nicole Elko, coastal management coordinator for Pinellas County’s Department of Environmental Management.
The four tubes that were cut have lost their structural integrity, thus delaying the project.
The temporary tubes were installed to minimize wave energy and prevent erosion of the north end of Upham Beach during construction of the permanent T-groins. The black tubes, which were installed during January, will be removed once the white T-groin structures are installed.
The T-groin geotextile tubes, bags of canvas-like material, will be filled with sand excavated from other areas. Beaches remain open during this project.
The tubes will be installed in a stacked pyramid design to reduce wave reflection often caused by a single tube. The T-groins will be positioned further landward than the temporary tubes to minimize surf interference. The project will help retain the added sand on Upham Beach for longer than two years, which is the present erosion time.
Citizens can help by monitoring the beach project and reporting suspicious activities to the St. Pete Beach Police Department at 363-9200.
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Article published on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005
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