by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
The hurricanes in 2022 and 2024 caused extensive damage to Sanibel’s beaches and the beach dune system.
Funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has facilitated the city’s ongoing beach recovery efforts, which include the emergency berm/gully and beach recovery project from Bowman’s Beach Park to the Sanibel Lighthouse, the Historic Sanibel Lighthouse Protection Project, and the Clam Bayou Sand Recovery Project.
Several factors have limited the city-led beach recovery work on northern Sanibel. Lee County placed approximately 85,000 cubic yards of sand in the area of north Sanibel – between Blind Pass and Bowman’s Beach Park – in August/September 2023 with funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The project was severely impacted by a strong low-pressure system in November 2023, shortly after the county completed the project.
The county was also continuing to evaluate the need and timing for maintenance dredging of Blind Pass in accordance with the 2019 Blind Pass Inlet Management Plan. Under that plan, material dredged from Blind Pass must be placed on northern Sanibel to mitigate the inlet’s erosional impact on the downdrift beach.
However, with no immediate plans for dredging Blind Pass and with FDEP funding remaining, the city began exploring the feasibility of placing sand on north Sanibel to address the significant sand loss in this region since Hurricane Ian.
The entire beach encompassing Blind Pass lost on average almost 50 feet from pre-Hurricane Ian to June 2024, 30 feet since June 2024 (additional losses due to hurricanes Helene and Milton), and a cumulative average of almost 80 feet since before Hurricane Ian.
Aware that the Captiva Erosion Prevention District was currently engaged in the Captiva Beach Renourishment Project, the city contacted CEPD and its contractor, Great Lakes Dock and Dredge, to determine if an opportunity might exist to undertake beach renourishment work on Sanibel following the completion of the Captiva project.
With a positive response, the city, CEPD, and Great Lakes are coordinating extensively to finalize the necessary details and agreements required to proceed with the proposed work.
The North Sanibel Beach Renourishment Project proposes to place approximately 300,000 cy of sand fill on northern Sanibel (roughly from the former Mad Hatter to the western boundary of Bowman’s Beach Park).
Fill placement will be accomplished by hopper dredge, with the slurry being dewatered and pumped onto the beach. The dredge is eight miles offshore.
For comparison purposes, the dredge at Wulfert/Dinkins is 6,000 cy of sand. The cost of the project, all-inclusive, is $8,694,171 (including 200,000 plants).
The FDEP Grant Agreement for the City of Sanibel 2022 Hurricane Ian and Nicole Beach Recovery Project will fully fund the proposed project.
In addition to funding all expenses related to the proposed North Sanibel Beach Renourishment Project, including dune planting, sufficient funding remains for additional dune planting along privately owned areas of the beach previously nourished in 2023/2024.
The city has planned the work, but it was delayed by additional beach impacts from Helene and Milton in September and October 2024.
The city plans to begin the project on November 29, 2025, and staff expect it to be completed by the end of the year. Work will take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Overnight work is standard practice in dredging operations to minimize the time beaches are subject to construction activities.
The City Council voted unanimously to authorize the city manager to proceed.
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