Beach Goers Share Sand with Beach Renourishment Activities

With a late start, the Beach Renourishment Project at South Beach is in full swing. Beachgoers keep a respectful distance from the roped–off area of South Beach with plenty of beach north of the dredging project. 

According to the Collier County Coastal Zone Management, materials will be dredged from Caxambas Pass and will re–nourish the south end of South Marco Beach from R-147 to G-4. Funds had been budgeted and approved for this activity in the FY 2018-2019 fund of the Tourist Development Tax.  

The project is supposed to dredge approximately 80,000 cubic yards of sand from Caxambas Pass, pump the sand to the beach, screen the sand to remove any seashells or stones larger than three and a half, and then place the sand on the beach and regrade. Work will begin at the south end of Marco Beach at Cape Marco and work north to the Marbelle Club. Any shells larger than three and a half will be trucked to one of the parking lots at Tigertail Beach. 

Marco’s 2019 Beach Renourishment Project History 

In February of 2019, a Renourishment Project started in front of the South Seas West Condominiums and moved south to the Royal Seafarer Condominium. The project consisted of dredging of approximately 150,000-175,000 cubic yards of sand from the nearshore area of Marco’s Central Beach. The dredged sand was placed on the beach and graded up to the dunes to create a wider berm seaward of the upland dune with a seaward slope to mean high water. This was meant to help eliminate the pooling and ponding of the beach during the rainy season. 

For the February 2019 Beach Renourishment, the Madeira Condominiums did not participate in the project. A large algae lake forms during the rainy season making the beach nearly unusable for recreation at this location. 

For March 2019, The Hideaway Beach Erosion Control Project consisted of dredging approximately 46,000 cubic yards of beach compatible sand from the Hideaway Nearshore Borrow Area to re–nourish Hideaway’s beach. 

Going Back to The Early 1990s 

The 1990-1991 Beach Restoration Project initially restored 2.5 miles of critically eroded beaches. From Tigertail to Central Beach, 570,000 cubic yards of sand were placed on Gulf-front beaches from Big Marco/Capri Pass shoal to advance the shoreline 290 feet. 575,000 cubic yards of sand from Caxambas Pass were placed on South Beach to advance the shoreline by 250 feet and two terminal groins were installed. 

Who Pays for All That Sand?  

Collier County Ordinance 2005-43 levies a 4% Tourist Development Tax on all rental income received from accommodations rented for six months or less. These include living quarters in hotels, apartment-hotels, motels, resort motels, rooming houses, tourist or trailer camps, cooperatively owned apartments, multiple-unit structures, mobile homes, trailers, single-family dwellings, beach houses, cottages and condominiums. 

Revenues collected are used for the extensive Beach Renourishment Projects and inlet management programs, along with the museum and special events in Collier County. 

For additional questions, please contact Gary McAlpin, Collier County Coastal Zone Management, at 239-252-5342 or garymcalpin@colliergov.net.