Our sandy beaches are always on the move. Like a river moving down the coast, the natural flow of sand is regulated by wind and waves and too often interrupted by the influence of man. Inlets, groins and seawalls interact with the dynamic nature of the coastline to produce long-term erosion in some areas. Beaches that once provided storm protection, recreation and habitat slowly fade away.
Nourishment is one method of restoring a beach.
Sand is pumped from offshore sites to replace what was lost and provide an added buffer for the erosion to come. This method does not alter the forces that caused the beach to disappear, so must be repeated, usually every five to ten years. It is a relatively inexpensive way to restore damage to a large area, but can only be used where impacts to nearshore habitat is limited. There are presently five beaches in the county now being nourished on a regular basis, with two additional projects in the planning stages. Adobe Acrobat Reader Software must be loaded as a Plug-In to your internet browser.