FL - Pinellas County Officials Question Beach Renourishment Plans
Pinellas County Officials express concern with the tactical beach renourishment plans by the Army Corps of Engineers.
On Sept. 8, Florida native and Colonel Jamie Booth, the Jacksonville District Commander for the Army Corps of Engineers spoke at a Pinellas County-wide meeting at Indian Shores Town Hall.
The History
After introducing his team of presenters, Booth talked about the history of beach renourishment, which he said started in about 1966. That’s when Congress authorized renourishment projects in Sand Key (Clearwater Beach), Treasure Island and Long Key (St. Pete Beach).
“The Army Corps cannot do anything without authorization of the U.S. Congress,” Booth explained.
The 1986 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) mandated the Corps’ cost-sharing requirements for Shore Protection Projects (SPP).
“Roughly 65% of the cost sharing under the WRDA is federally funded,” he explained. “The remaining 35% will be funded by the county and local governments.”
Booth said the Corps performs renourishment to control beach erosion control and protect the shoreline, not for recreational benefits. Protection of infrastructure, he said, is core to these projects.
“The federal government is not going to pay for the nourishment of beaches on private shores. This is what we are talking about with regard to easements,” Booth said.
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Read also
Pinellas may be able to pay for beach renourishment by itself after all, Tampa Bay Times / September 15, 2023
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Reducing the Risk to Infrastructure
“The engineered beach that’s out there is to protect the infrastructure,” Booth said.
The Army Corps of Engineers achieves this through the Erosion Control Line (ECL) and what they call an “engineered berm.”
Congress authorized the Corps to build up this 40-foot berm, which Booth called “sacrificial sand.” Also, the Corps establishes the ECL (designated by the state) at the high water mark on the beach. Seaward of the ECL is public beach; landward of the ECL is often privately owned property.
The Role of Perpetual Easements
“You can think of it as the power company having an easement on your land to do repairs and restore power … the perpetual easement is the same for beach renourishment,” explained Booth.
Pinellas County has the responsibility of obtaining easements. The County does not have 100% compliance from Sand Key to Pass-a-Grille.
In 2018, the Corps performed Beach Erosion Control (BEC) for the last time without perpetual easements. When asked if they would perform any Beach Erosion Control without perpetual easements henceforth, the answer was no.
Public Officials Speak
Pinellas County Commissioner Brian Scott asked who held the easements.
“Is it the state, the county, or the federal government,” he asked? The answer: Pinellas County holds perpetual easements.
St. Pete Beach City Manager Alex Rey asked Booth what the Corps plans to do about Pass-a-Grille Beach.
