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By DREW WINCHESTER, dwinchester@breezenewspapers.com
The Captiva Erosion Prevention District (CEPD) is gearing up to complete a beach renourishment project that was left unfinished in 2006. The project will begin sometime shortly after Easter, though no definite start date has been set.
Started but never completed, CEPD administrator Alison Hagerup said the project stalled in 2006 because of the overwhelming amount of similar renourishment projects spread throughout the state. After two tumultuous hurricane seasons, the Army Corps of Engineers was spread thin over 17 different beach projects.
“The schedule was very demanding,” Hagerup said of the 2006 project. “There were only so many dredges to go around, especially that could do this type of project.”
Of the 17 beach projects, Captiva was next to last on that long list, ahead of only Collier County. The project was started, but with turtle nesting season looming, the Army Corps of Engineers decided to complete the Collier County project. Additional storms that occurred during the construction phase added a significant amount of difficulty.
“They were aware that there were additional losses [from the storms] when they moved forward with the project,” Hagerup said. “They had to make a decision on re-mobilizing, or move on and try to get Collier done before turtle nesting season.”
Though the dredging isn’t scheduled to start until sometime after easter, mobilization of the necessary equipment will begin next week. A booster pump will be located on a barge 12,000 feet off shore that will eventually pump 80,000 cubic yards of sand from just south of Jensen’s on the Gulf to the northern End of South Seas Island Resort. As crews move north from Jensen’s on the Gulf, they will pick up pipe, leaving a renourished, clean beach behind.
“Within a week you should see some barges heading this way with pipe,” Hagerup elaborated. “All the equipment should be coming in by barge except bulldozers which will be coming in by 18 wheelers.”
She also added that once the project does get underway, crews will be pumping sand 24 hours a day, for seven to 10 days, with the set-up requiring an additional week. Noise will be a result of the bulldozers working on the project at night, as the booster pump will be located too far off shore to be heard.
For more information about the renourishment project, contact the Captiva Erosion Prevention District at 239-472-2472.
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