Broward County’s Beach Renourishment Project to Receive Golden Project Award from Beach Preservation Association
Broward County’s Beach Renourishment Project has been selected as the winner of the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association’s Golden Project Administration Award.
According to David Tait, the executive director for the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association, “the Broward project was deemed to be the beach renourishment project over the past half century which has enjoyed and benefited from the most outstanding local government administration during its history.”
Broward County has conducted eight renourishment projects since 1970, placing almost 10 million cubic yards of sand on 29 miles of beach. The beaches of Pompano Beach, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, Dania Beach, Hollywood, and Hallandale Beach have been restored and renourished with sand obtained from offshore of the County.
The most recent project was constructed from May, 2005, to February, 2006, as Broward County renourished 6.8 miles of shoreline, from the Broward County line in Hallandale Beach to the John U. Lloyd Beach State Park in Hollywood, just south of Port Everglades. Sand was dredged off the north Broward coast, hauled by hopper dredge to the County’s southern coast and piped on to the beach. Approximately 2 million cubic yards of sand were placed during this project. That’s enough sand to fill the Empire State Building twice. Beaches that were once a just few feet wide at low tide, now reach out up to 200 feet.
“Receiving this award from the preeminent beach preservation association in the Nation is a great honor for Broward County,” said Steve Higgins, Beach Erosion Administrator, Broward County Environmental Protection Department. “This has been a team effort including staff from the County’s Environmental Protection Department, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection, our municipal partners, and the Broward County Commission whose policies regarding beach management have enabled Broward’s beaches to remain among the best in the world.”
The County is wrapping up an 18-month study on the impact of the recently restored beach on marine resources. A report will be prepared for the Florida Department of Environment Protection, which will forward its recommendations to the governor and the cabinet for approval to proceed with the next phase of beach renourishment. The next segment involves the restoration of beaches in Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities and is projected to begin in late 2009.
The Golden Project Administration Award will be presented at the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association’s annual awards banquet to be held at the Boca Raton Resort and Racquet Club on September 13.
Photo Caption: As a result of the most recent Beach Renourishment Project, more than 2 million cubic yards of sand were placed on South Broward’s beaches.
Add comment August 23rd, 2007