BOEM, USACE ink agreement for dredging in St Lucie County, Florida

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has entered into an agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and St Lucie County, Florida, that will lead to the restoration and protection of approximately 3.3 miles (5.3 kilometres) of Atlantic coastline.

The agreement gives the Army Corps access to 800,000 cubic yards (611,643 cubic metres) of sand from federal waters just over four miles (6.4 kilometres) offshore St Lucie County to rebuild the dunes and beaches on South Hutchinson Island, a barrier island.

The work is part of the county’s ongoing Coastal Storm Risk Management Project.

The USACE will reconstruct the eroded dunes and beaches along 3.3 miles of shoreline on the southernmost reach of South Hutchinson Island. Work is scheduled to begin on or after November 1, 2021 and be completed by April 2022.