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Van Oord crews have returned to Lincolnshire for another round of beach replenishment works.
Over the next 4 to 5 weeks, around 200,000 to 500,000 cubic meters of sand will be topped up on beaches between Saltfleet and Gibraltar Point.
This will reduce the risk of flooding for 20,000 homes and businesses, 24,500 static caravans and 35,000 hectares of land.
The Environment Agency’s annual beach management involves dredging sand from licensed seabed areas and pumping it onto beaches, replacing the sand naturally lost to the sea throughout the year.
Replenishing the sand means that the beaches, instead of hard defences like sea walls, take the brunt of the waves’ force and energy. This reduces the amount of damage and erosion to those hard defences and lessens the risk of water overtopping them.
The Environment Agency has been restoring sand levels on the Lincolnshire coast every year since 1994. In addition to reducing flood risk, the work brings supplementary social and economic benefits by retaining the sandy beaches for a vibrant tourism industry.
The £7 million beach management work is funded as part of the Environment Agency’s capital program. The EA is committed to delivering Government’s £2.65 billion investment over the next 2 years to protect thousands of homes and business from the dangers of flooding. Plus prevent billions of pounds worth of damages.