Perdido Key Renourishment Project

Date: November 14, 2011
Contact: Rick Clark, 850-916-3011

PERDIDO KEY SAND RENOURISHMENT PROJECT

GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE

Gulf Breeze, FL:Superintendent Dan Brown announced today that Gulf Islands National Seashore, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is undertaking a sand re-nourishment project on the south shore of Perdido Key beginning approximately November 14, 2011.The work is expected to be completed by the end of December.The purpose of the project is to: 1) restore beach that has been lost to erosion through storm action and active shoreline processes; 2) relocate sand deposited within the Pensacola Pass navigational channel; and 3) restore the sediment transport and budget system, which is vital to barrier island function and longevity.

The sand taken from the Pensacola Pass channel will be placed along a two mile segment of shoreline near the eastern end of Perdido Key. The sand will be compatible to existing island sand, including grain size, texture, and color.It is expected that in time the sand placed within the swash zone (near shore area to an elevation of approximately 3-feet near the ordinary and naturally occurring sand berm) on the beach will be indistinguishable from the sand already there.Unusual concentrations of sea birds are to be expected in the discharge area of the dredge pipes due to aquatic organisms that will be unavoidably mixed into the slurry.Upon initial discharge the slurry is grayish to blackish in color before the finer materials settle out into the water column leaving behind the white sand which is customary of Emerald Coast shorelines.

Dredges will be used to remove sand from the borrow area and pump it onto shore through 30 inch pipes.The pipes will place a slurry of sand and water on the beach where bulldozers and other construction equipment will be used to place the sand.Operations are expected to occur 24 hours/day, seven days a week. lood lights will also be used at night to illuminate active project areas.For public safety purposes there will be fencing and personnel on site to restrict access in the active project areas to authorized personnel only.

For additional information, contact Rick Clark, Chief of Science and Resource Management, at 850-916-3011 or by email at e-mail us.

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