Flagler County Dune Restoration Project To Break Ground Soon

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Flagler County, FL - Flagler County has announced that its dune restoration project will begin on Monday, January 22.

“We are very excited to begin working on the dunes, which will start at Washington Oaks State Park,” said Faith Alkhatib, County Engineer. “It will be a measured start to the project.”

The first part of the project will include restoring dunes from Washington Oaks State Park southward to Bay Drive Park. The next step would be to restore the rest of Washington Oaks State Park and the segment between Bay Drive Park and MalaCompra Road. Other parts of the project will be announced two weeks before the work starts.

The $25 million (or more) project will be funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and by local private and public entities. Over 750,000 tons of sand is expected to be used for the entire project.

“Everyone is anxious to bolster the dunes for the protection of our community,” said Greg Hansen, Flagler County Commission Chair. “It has been great to experience all the cooperation we have had from the state DEP, FEMA, and local residents as well.”

The county hopes to restore a “mile a month,” but high tides, limited daylight, and weather conditions could affect how much work gets done. The County also has to be mindful of FDEP and federal laws that protect sea turtles. Some restoration work is scheduled during sea turtle nesting season.

Dump trucks will be delivering sand from upland to the beach. Six to nine “track trucks” will place the sand on the beach. The public is warned that some parts of the beach will close when restoration work is occurring.

Dune restoration updates and pictures will be posted weekly. If you have any questions about the project, you can contact the County at 386-313-4038 or via email at dunesproject@flaglercounty.org. Voicemail messages will be returned within 24 hours during the work week.

“This is a very large project that is of great importance to all of Flagler County,” said Craig Coffey, Flagler County Administrator. “We appreciate the public’s patience during this process, and will be seeking the public’s help in protecting the dunes after completion.”

Residents are encouraged to attend the groundbreaking ceremony at 10 AM on Saturday, January 27. Project equipment will be staged for viewing at MalaCompra Park, located at 115 MalaCompra Road. Flagler County’s Legislative Delegation will be present. The County says invitations to the Governor, FDEP, and several others are pending.

Photo courtesy of Amie Torres and Shutterstock.com.

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