South Ponte Vedra

The South Ponte Vedra Dune Restoration Project is separate from the FEMA Dune Enhancement Project. This project will rebuild a portion of the beach and dune system with sand dredged from an offshore borrow area beginning in and including Serenata Beach, extending north for approximately five and a half miles.

Announcements

Damage Due to Hurricane Ian, September 28-30, 2022 – Unfortunately, Hurricane Ian eroded much of the new sand from the beach into the nearshore system. Data is still being analyzed to quantify loss and to identify opportunities for mitigation of the storm damage. The sand did provide substantial protection to the oceanfront properties in the project area.

Safety First – Beach visitors are always encouraged to exercise caution when spending time in coastal areas. Be advised of submerged debris along our coast, both on and off the beach. County and State personnel are diligently working to remove all hazards. Eroded dunes and beach escarpments (sand cliffs) are unstable. Do not dig into them for danger of collapse and burial. The beach escarpments (sand cliffs) caused by the tide will eventually repair themselves to a gentler slope. Safety, caution and patience are needed at this time. Pedestrians are urged to exercise caution due to heavy equipment removing debris. Use extra care supervising children when large equipment is nearby.

Dune Preservation – Please stay off the remains of the newly constructed dunes in all project areas throughout the County as well as the healthy remaining dunes. It is imperative that beachgoers stick to the designated dune crossings areas.

Dune Restoration Flyer – To aid in educating and reminding beachgoers of the sensitivity of the new dunes and plantings, here is an informative flyer available for you to print and feature prominently in beachfront properties.

Dune Plantings – Please stay off the newly constructed dunes in all project areas throughout the County. The freshly planted sea oats need time to grow and establish a strong root system. It is imperative that beachgoers stick to the designated dune crossings areas.

Beach Fill and Equilibration – Waves and currents will reshape the constructed beach fill over time to a more natural “equilibrated” shape by transporting sand from the dry beach and depositing it to the offshore sandbars. This causes larger swells to break further away from the beach, dissipating wave energy and providing the intended coastal protection. This process begins immediately after construction, with full adjustment of the beach shape typically requiring many months or multiple significant wave events.

Pictured: Equilibration process

Update

Construction – Weeks Marine, Inc. and sub-contractors completed beach restoration operations in South Ponte Vedra as of July 2022.

Project Details

• Project Description

• The project extends from approximately one-and-one-third mile north of Guana River Road and ties into the taper of the USACE Project in front of Serenata Ocean Villas.

• The scope included a one-time dune nourishment placing an average of 20 cubic yards of sand, replacing sand lost primarily due to Hurricanes Matthew and Irma.

• The sand came from an offshore borrow site approximately eight miles offshore.

• Staging Areas

• The parking lot north of the Exxon gas station and South Ponte Vedra park both reopened for public use early July.

• Environmental Considerations

• The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Wildlife Commission, in consultation with the National Fish and Wildlife Service, have approved the sand quality, the geometry of the sand placement, and the efforts to protect marine turtles and their eggs.

• The parts of the beach that had sand placement or equipment traffic are monitored every morning by specially permitted experts before construction activity began for the day.

• If any nests had been laid in those areas the previous night, they were carefully relocated to a safe area outside of the work zone.

• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the United States Army Corps of Engineers permitted sand source protecting imperiled species.

Schedule

• Construction Start - April 2022

• Construction Completion - Mid-Summer 2022

Funding

• The section of the project to the north of Serenata will be funded by:

• Matching grant funds (50%) from Florida DEP Hurricane Matthew funding

• Proposed funding from County Tourist Development Tax

• Proposed funding from a Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) levy for ten years on the properties in the MSTU area.

• The section of the project in front of Serenata will be funded only by a MSTU levy for 10 years on Serenata Ocean Villas and Beach Club, without State or county funding.

Contact Us

For more information, please contact the Coastal Management team at (904) 209-0260, or coastalprojects@sjcfl.us.

Non-project Beach updates can be heard on the Beach Services Hotline at 904-209-0331.