The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has partnered with the Army Corps’ Jacksonville District, Brevard County, and the U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing to replenish portions of the shoreline in Brevard County, Florida.
BOEM and its partners signed two separate agreements for the use of up to 1.9 million cubic yards of sand from federal waters to construct three Brevard County project segments located at Mid-Reach, South-Reach, and Patrick Air Force Base.
Sand from the Canaveral Shoals sand borrow area on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) will be used to stabilize the shoreline.
For the Brevard County Mid-Reach and South-Reach segments, BOEM authorizes the use of up to 1.3 million cubic yards of sand, which would restore 7.8 miles of Mid-Reach shoreline and 4 miles on the South-Reach.
For the Patrick AFB segment, BOEM authorizes up to 600,000 cubic yards of sand to renew 3.8 miles of shoreline. The shoreline to be redeveloped stretches from Patrick Air Force Base southward to Spessard Holland Park, totaling 15.6 miles.
“ As Florida and other states address long-term coastal renourishment needs, BOEM stands ready to work closely with its partners, including the Corps, as they assess the impacts of those storms ,” said BOEM Acting Director Walter Cruickshank .
With these two new lease agreements, BOEM has signed 58 leases for coastal restoration projects since 1995, including 22 in Florida; authorized more than 164 million cubic yards of sediment for eight states; and will be on track to provide sand to restore nearly 360 miles of shoreline.