Hideaway Restoration Project Moves Forward

After almost two years of research, hearings and multiple meetings with engineers and regulatory boards, on July 7, the Hideaway Beach Special Taxing Board was finally only one meeting away from dealing with Hurricane Irma’s impact in 2017.

The issues in this complicated ecological restoration project and far reaching. They impact not only Hideaway Beach and Sand Dollar Island, but Tigertail Beach as well. Tigertail Beach issues relate to the beach degrading in the Tigertail area and the county park that is found along that beach.

In 2017, the area was seriously impacted by the over wash of sand from Hurricane Irma. Since then, the area was further impacted by two additional storms in October and January. This has resulted in the loss of a great deal of Sand Dollar Island’s width and elevation, while seriously impacting the protection it has provided in keeping the waterway open into the Tigertail Beach area. 

The continual over wash has taken Sand Dollar Island from a width of approximately 45–70-feet to six feet or less in some vital locations. It has also seriously impacted its elevation, causing the over wash to be more and more prevalent. 

The total acreage of seagrass has also been cut in half by the storms, impacting feeding locations for manatees which use that lagoon area for that purpose. The subsequent shoaling between Sand Dollar and the mainland in the Tigertail area has caused numerous manatee strandings in this natural feeding area for manatees, endangering the lives of these gentle mammals. 

The restoration project will take Sand Dollar Island back to its pre-2017 conditions, therefore eliminating the over wash that is closing off the passage of water flow into the Tigertail Lagoon, while restoring seagrasses. 

The sand that was previously located on that area of Sand Dollar Island had been swept up to the north end of Sand Dollar, therefore causing a gradual and steady closing of the free flow of water between the northern end of the island along Hideaway Beach and southerly down to the passage that leads into the Tigertail Lagoon.

Should that spit area be allowed to close, the natural flow of waters between Hideaway Beach on the mainland side and Sand Dollar Island on the Marco River side would cease to exist. 

Another consequence of inaction would be a further narrowing of the marine navigation channel in the Marco River, which is undergoing some dynamic changes. The entry into Collier Creek would also be impacted due to shifting sands. Collier Creek handles approximately 35% of the marine craft traffic from the island seeking to access the Marco River and the Gulf of Mexico.

It is estimated that the migration of sand has added 14 acres to the north end of Sand Dollar Island. As part of the project, approximately six acres will be dredged from the northern spit ensuring that waterway stays unimpeded. Sand will be utilized as part of the restoration of the south end of Sand Dollar to correct the over wash problems.

Because the areas found along Sand Dollar Island are considered ecologically sensitive and provide numerous species of birds nesting areas, special monitoring provisions have been agreed to for the protection of wildlife. As part of the work being done at the north end spit, a gentle slopping of the area and special attention to area vegetation and expansion of the sandy nesting areas were agreed to be part of the permitting requirements.

The City of Marco Island recently assisted the Hideaway Beach Taxing District by advertising the engineering specification for competitive bids. All the development of those engineering document costs, and related expenses are the responsibility of the Hideaway Beach Association, as are the costs of the project itself. Funds will be raised through a self-assessment by the residents through the established Special Taxing District for Hideaway Beach.

The bids, when received, ranged from $10,000,200 by Dutra Dredging to $3,306,187.50 by Ahtna Marine. After an evaluation of proposals, it was determined that Ahtna was the lowest responsible bidder for the project. The Ahtna company has previously worked on projects for the community.

The contract will be awarded in October with work to commence after November 1st, once turtle nesting season is over.