FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – The $20 million Nassau County Shore Safety Mission to renourish the Fernandina Seashore shoreline from Fort Clinch to Saddler Street has completed months forward of schedule.
Crews from the out-of-state firm employed to pump sand onto the shore have been working 24 hours a day for the reason that seaside renourishment undertaking began in Might.
Initially slated for completion in November, crews formally completed the pumping factor of the undertaking final week.
The $20 million undertaking, which the federal authorities absolutely funded as a part of a storm restoration effort, was a part of a long-awaited response to the devastation attributable to Hurricane Dora in 1964, which prompted native advocates to hunt congressional motion.
Beau Corbett, undertaking supervisor for the U.S. Military Corps of Engineers, informed News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee in Might that the seaside serves a crucial objective past recreation.
“The seaside is right here to guard the land,” he famous, explaining the method. “The sand you might be seeing right here is being dredged from offshore. It’s pumping sand from offshore onto the seaside, which is being filtered to take away all of the particles earlier than it’s positioned on the seaside.”
In 2018, sand from the Kings Bay channel was used, however this time, the undertaking required a staggering 750,000 cubic yards of sand, necessitating offshore dredging.
Corbett, who’s main the cost on the Nassau County Shore Safety Mission, confused the significance of preserving the seaside as the primary line of protection throughout storms.
“When the storm surge comes up onto the land, all of that vitality the hurricane brings will assault the seaside first,” Corbett defined.
A wholesome seaside additionally serves a crucial function within the sea turtle nesting and hatching course of.
On-beach parking at Seaside Park reopened on Saturday, however due to delicate sand circumstances, Seashore Rangers are ensuring solely 4-wheel drive automobiles head out on the sand for now.
The duty of eradicating the heavy gear might take just a few extra weeks.
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