CAPTIVA ISLAND BEACH NOURISHMENT PROGRAM
45 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND SUCCESS
The residents and businesses on Captiva Island have successfully managed their beaches for the
past 45 years, improving their beach nourishment program with each renourishment event. The
success of the program is evident by the lack of any significant structural damage due to tidal
and wave forces during the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, including a hit by Hurricane
Charley. The program manager, the Captiva Erosion Prevention District (CEPD), has developed
a comprehensive plan to protect the island’s shoreline and integrate complementary projects
from the adjacent island of Sanibel. The program includes support from Federal, State, County
and local agencies, in a project team forged by the CEPD leadership over many long years. The
third major renourishment project finished construction this year and the success of an integrated
program can be partially gauged by the half dozen funding sources supporting construction. The
CEPD program is the type of success that proves the feasibility of beach restoration and garnered
one of ASBPA’s Top Restored Beach Award this year.
Captiva Island is part of Lee County which is located on the lower western peninsula coast of
Florida. Captiva Island is a barrier island separated from the main land by Pine Island Sound. It
is accessible by causeway through Sanibel Island.
Four beach nourishment projects have been constructed on Captiva Island. The first project was
built in 1961, placing 107,000 c.y. in conjunction with 134 groins. The second project, known as
the South Seas Plantation fill project, placed 655,000 cubic yards of beach fill on the northern
end of the island and was completed in October of 1981. The first island wide nourishment
project placed 1.6 million cubic yards of sand in 1988-1989, this project was a Federally
reimbursable Section 215 project.
Click Images to enlarge |
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Captiva Beaches |
Captiva Beach Projects |
The 1996 project was the initial renourishment of the 1988-1989 Federal nourishment project.
Fill was placed between Redfish Pass and Blind Pass along 4.7 miles of shoreline. The volume
was approximately 821,000 cubic yards. An additional 239,000 cubic yards of sand were placed
on northern Sanibel Island.
The 2005 Captiva and Sanibel Islands project is a combination of renourishment and storm
repair. The Captiva Island fill project includes 156,000 of emergency yardage under the Corps’
emergency program (FCCE), 23,000 c.y. for emergency repair under FEMA Category G
program, and 841,000 c.y. as normal Corps renourishment volume (CG). On Sanibel Island,
46,500 c.y. qualifies for support by FEMA’s category G program, 178,500 c.y. for normal
renourishment under an interlocal agreement, and the 80,000 c.y. for new construction on
Bowmans Beach. The Redfish Pass terminal groin was rehabilitated to improve sand retention.
Click Images to enlarge |
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Before Renourishment |
After Beach Renourishment |
Before Beach Renourishment |
After Beach Renourishment |
The three pictures illustrate the success of the Captiva Island program. The first photograph
shows the critical road section on Captiva Island in 1988, before the first nourishment in this
region. This road section is the evacuation route for most of the island. The second picture
(9/27/2005) was taken just before construction reached this area, showing that the project was
still providing protection 9 years after the 1996 nourishment and after the 2004 hurricane season.
The third picture (10/11/2005) was taken after construction this year.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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