Beach renourishment public meeting June 29 in Gulf Shores

Beach renourishment public meeting June 29 in Gulf Shores

A public meeting to discuss the proposed 2022 Beach Renourishment Project on the Alabama Coast will be held on Wednesday, June 29, at 6 p.m. in the Gulf Shores City Council Chambers – located at 1905 West 1st Street.
The project is being proposed by the City of Gulf Shores and the City of Orange Beach. Once the application for this project is approved, the beach renourishment process can begin. Beach renourishment is the process in which sand is collected from an offshore location by a dredge, piped onto the beach, and moved into place by a bulldozer, resulting in a wider, higher beach. Renourishment benefits include increased storm protection for coastal structures, new habitats, and overall enhancement of the beach for recreational purposes. Once completed, an average width of 100 feet of sand will be added back to the shoreline.
The public is invited to present any comments or concerns relevant to the proposed project. Pending applications are available to review online at olsen-associates.com. More info: 251-968-6583.
Beach restoration is the process in which sand is collected from an offshore location by a dredge, piped onto the beach, and moved into place by a bulldozer, resulting in a wider, higher beach. Restoration benefits include increased storm protection for coastal structures, new habitats, and overall enhancement of the beach for recreational purposes.
Due to City’s initial investment to construct an engineered beach system in 2004, and the continued maintenance of our engineered beaches and dune systems, beach restoration is recognized by FEMA as a reimbursable expense should our engineered beaches be damaged by a declared disaster. In 2017, after Hurricane Nate, the City of Gulf Shores began the permitting process with FEMA to begin the beach restoration process and return our engineered beaches back to their pre-hurricane condition. However, before beach restoration work could begin, our beaches sustained additional sand loss from Hurricane Sally. The City is currently in the final stages of FEMA approval for replacing the sand lost to both Hurricanes Nate and Sally. Works is expected to start this winter and be completed by spring of 2023. Beach restoration activities only require temporary closure of the beach in the immediate vicinity of the onshore sand placement and should have a limited impact on any beach visitors during the restoration process.
Pictured: The city of Gulf Shores is going through the process of dredging sand from the gulf to increase the beach size on a portion of West Beach. Below if the latest update on this process from the city.