At least three county beaches will close early next week for dune restoration following damages and erosion from hurricanes Nicole and Ian in 2022, officials said.
“County beaches were hit hard. Impacts were substantial and include structural damage, dune erosion and significant beach loss,” Interim County Administrator Michael Zito said in a statement. “There is a window of opportunity to conduct beach and dune renourishment projects now.”
Ambersand Beach Access will close Monday through Jan. 13, and Jan. 16 through Jan. 17, county officials said. Golden Sands Beach Access and Tracking Station Beach Park will close starting Monday.
Sand will be placed on the dunes and berm, county officials said. Authorities said the renourishment projects are known to protect infrastructure, provide public access and provide a habitat to nesting sea turtles.
“Sea turtles are federally listed as threatened and endangered and nesting season begins on March 1,” county officials said. “Therefore, any restoration efforts must be planned and executed before or after the nesting season.”
The contractor will work in a sequence so not all beaches will close simultaneously, county officials said. The project schedule for each beach can be found on the county website.
Closures for the remaining beaches will be determined at a later date. For more information, visit the county website, follow the county’s park and recreation page on social media @ircrec or call 772-226-1872.
