Construction works on the Environment Agency’s £7 million worth Lincolnshire Beach Management scheme are moving according to schedule, reports the EA Midlands.
According to the Agency, around 400,000 cubic meters of sand are set to be pumped onto Lincolnshire’s beaches to reduce flood risk to more than 20,000 homes and businesses, 24,500 static caravans and 35,000 hectares of land.
In total, the project the involves the raising of beach levels lost naturally to the sea, by dredging sand from the seabed and pumping it onshore. The work forms a key part of the Environment Agency’s management strategy for the Lincolnshire coast.
The project started on 30 April at Boygrift. Over the course of the next eight weeks, the HAM316 dredger will move to Trusthorpe, Mablethorpe, Ingoldmells, Trunch Lane, Wolla Bank, Chapel Six Marshes and Huttoft to complete the project for this year.
The dredger, which has the lowest carbon footprint of its class, is operating continuously, delivering approximately 5,000 cubic meters of sand twice a day.
Mark Robinson, senior coastal adviser at the Environment Agency , said: “ Our work to restore beach levels is important as it protects our coastal defenses, such as sea walls, from the energy of the waves as they impact on the coast.”
The project also brings value to the bustling tourism economy on Lincolnshire’s coast, as without it Lincolnshire’s beaches would not be nearly as sandy. Although the Environment Agency works around the clock to reduce flood risk to Lincolnshire’s coastal communities, the risk can never be eliminated completely.