Focus on Manatee | Anna Maria Island beach renourishment brings many benefits

As our county official work together to ensure the upcoming summer months can be enjoyed safely and responsibly, we have also initiated an important project that will benefit all who live near and enjoy our beaches for years to come.

Earlier this month a contractor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began an extensive beach re-nourishment to restock a 5.5-mile stretch of beach from northern Holmes Beach to the southern end of Coquina Beach at Longboat Pass. The expected four-month project will dredge sand from a permitted area located roughly 2,000 feet offshore of the north end of Anna Maria Island, within the Passage Key ebb shoal.

Since 1992, the County has participated in six beach nourishment projects to replace approximately 5.9 million cubic yards of sand on the island. Though each has resulted in unavoidable inconveniences for residents and beachgoers, the benefits of this current project – which will prevent the public from accessing only 300-ft to 1,000-ft of beach under active construction at a time – far outweigh the negatives.

Our re-nourished beaches are no different than our roadways or other infrastructures, as in once they are built, they must be maintained. Re-nourishment projects, such as this one, not only provide recreational beach width for the benefit of residents and visitors, but the sand also provides critical protection for structures and infrastructure on land nearby during storm events. As such, the project is considered essential by the USACE.

Over the course of the next few months, hundreds of feet of beach per day will be restocked, providing greater storm protection and important nesting habitat for endangered sea turtles and shorebirds. Beyond that, it is a critical investment that will preserve our destination’s beaches, ensuring they remain a top asset for both residents and visitors to enjoy and a vital resource of our local economy.

Please visit mymanatee.org/beachproject for project updates and be sure to avoid areas under active construction as the Army Corps works to complete the re-nourishment as quickly as possible so that our beaches can continue to provide protection from storm surges, safe nesting habitats for our wildlife and space to enjoy the sand safely in 2021 and beyond.

Elliott Falcione is the executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and can be reached at Elliott.Falcione@BACVB.com or 941-729-9177, ext. 3940.

This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 5:00 AM.