SOUTH HUTCHINSON ISLAND — Dollman Beach will close this week as contractors stage equipment for a major beach renourishment project aimed at repairing storm damage and strengthening a stretch of shoreline on South Hutchinson Island.
The beach at 9200 S. Ocean Drive will be закрыт to all vehicle and pedestrian access this week and next, as crews prepare for dredging tied to the South St. Lucie County Coastal Storm Risk Management Project. The south side of the parking lot and the beach access route will remain open to the public on weekends during that time.
Manson Construction has begun mobilizing equipment in the northern overflow parking area for the federal project. Dredging is scheduled to start Thursday, Jan. 22, with work expected to continue through June 30. Temporary closures will occur throughout the construction period, county officials said.
The project will restore roughly 3.3 miles of Atlantic shoreline, stretching from Florida Department of Environmental Protection Range Monument R-98 in St. Lucie County south to the Martin County line.
Sand will be dredged from the St. Lucie Shoals, about 3.5 miles offshore, and pumped onto the beach using barges and large metal pipes. Heavy equipment will remain on the beach to shape the new sand, and pipeline crossovers will be placed every few hundred feet for access through work zones.
Erick Gill, St. Lucie County’s communications director, said the effort is designed to address damage left behind by recent storms.
“The beach nourishment is a result of storm impacts to the previously completed project by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole,” Gill said.
He said the renourishment will bring long-term benefits beyond shoreline repair.
“The renourishment will provide additional protection from storm impacts and increase nesting areas for sea turtles and shorebirds,” Gill said.
The timing of the project was driven in part by federal support. Gill said the work is being paid for entirely by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after the county documented significant storm-related impacts to the area.
“This is a 100% federally funded project,” he said. “Due to impacts from previous hurricanes, the county was able to show significant impacts to the project area and justify the need to repair the shoreline.”
While closures and heavy equipment will be visible, Gill said some of the disruptions may not be obvious from notices alone.
“Beachgoers should expect temporary closures within the immediate construction area,” he said. “There will be a pipeline along the beach with crossovers every few hundred feet for access.”
County officials said those who enter open sections of beach within construction zones should follow posted signs and fencing and use caution around equipment.
Environmental monitoring will be part of the project from start to finish. Gill said biological surveys will be conducted before, during and after construction, including monitoring of hardbottom areas, sea turtles, shorebirds and water turbidity.
To keep residents and visitors informed as work progresses, Gill said updates will be posted online.
“All project updates and information are available on the county website,” he said.
Once construction wraps up, the county and its partners will continue to track the project’s impact.
“Permit-required monitoring will take place for two seasons following project completion,” Gill said.
The coastal storm risk management effort is designed as a long-term strategy. After this phase, periodic renourishment is planned on an 18-year cycle, with two additional nourishment events anticipated over the 50-year span of the federal participation plan.
For information on beach access points and project updates, residents can visit the county’s website.