Beach restoration halted until Oct. 1, 2006

[FLSunChaser]

That must be very frustrating to be in that situation.

Brad Pickel was so enthusiastic about this dredging system because it would not kill the turtles - finally an answer to getting sand back onto the beaches. Does anyone know how the turtles which have been killed by this system were killed?

This is how it was explained to me by one of the foreman on the restoration. Basically when the boat is at the borrow sight it sucks the sand up underneath the boat, therefore not seeing any of the turtles until it's too late. I guess at one time it was mentioned putting some sort of filter screen on the part that sucks up the sand, so as to not get a turtle, but I guess they couldn't do it.

 

[Smiling JOe]

This is how it was explained to me by one of the foreman on the restoration. Basically when the boat is at the borrow sight it sucks the sand up underneath the boat, therefore not seeing any of the turtles until it's too late. I guess at one time it was mentioned putting some sort of filter screen on the part that sucks up the sand, so as to not get a turtle, but I guess they couldn't do it.

That is what Brad said they were doing. So do you know for a fact that they did not have a screen, or if the screen was not small enough? I wonder if a turtle could escape the powerful suction even if a screen did stop it from being sucked throught the pipe.

 

[Sally]

Freedom News editorial:

How many turtles does it take to shut down dredging operations for an entire state?
Apparently only one more.
Walton County?s on-again-off-again beach nourishment is once again off after the death of a sea turtle on Sunday.
The big question everyone is asking is: What now, Bubba?
After years of studies, storms and stalling, the beach nourishment project got underway in earnest in February. Beachfront homeowners (for the most part) were grateful to see a sand barrier being constructed between their homes and the sea after last year?s storms ripped away what little protection had been there.
Most locals also welcomed the project as a means of protecting the tourism dollars that are our lifeblood. It truly was a collective sigh of relief to see our beaches rise up out of the water and come back to life.
Now it seems we have killed our last turtle and the project is over until a new fiscal year starts in October.
The turtle was the 4th one killed by the Walton project and the seventh one for the district. Unless other areas of the state can do as Walton did and ?borrow? a turtle kill from another district, their projects could also come to a standstill. Ongoing projects in Key West, Tampa and other major areas will be as dead as that one sea turtle in the South Walton sand.
The National Marine Fisheries Service allows only a certain number in each of the different species of sea turtles to be killed each year in the execution of government projects along the Gulf Coast ? the entire Gulf Coast.
We?re all for protecting wildlife but surely there must be a more efficient means of dredging. Are there not more sophisticated sensors that could be used in the vacuum area to indicate the presence of a sea turtle? Smaller filters and less suction that could prevent turtles (and other marine life) from getting sucked up in the transfer tube? Or did we just pick the contractor with the cheapest price and consequently got what we paid for?
Another question that has been brought up is whether the number of turtles that have been killed is an indication the turtle population has or is recovering. Do more dead turtles on the beach translate to more live turtles in the water?
Our beaches are now a patchwork of black and white sand zigzagging along an artificially made coastline. Let us hope this year?s torrential wind and water spare us and Mother Nature is allowed to finish the job of replenishing our beautiful white beaches.
Let us hope this dance of man, machines and nature ends in a flourish and not on a sour note.

 

[yippie]

I imagine the folks at Frangista and Costa Del Sol are in disbelief.

We are ALL in disbelief. Sickened and shocked.

 

[SHELLY]

<rhetorical question>

Would some view it differently if it were dolphins being sucked up and torn apart instead of turtles?

 

[Beachlover2]

So I guess this means they didn't get to the public beach at Pompanos yet. That area right there looked pretty bad when we were down there end of April - early May.

 

[yippie]

It is confirmed. We have no chance of beach restoration until October.

We just have to keep our fingers crossed that no storms come out way......

 

[Kurt]

Here is where it was halted. Pretty striking difference. It will be interesting to see what changes take place between now and restart.

 

[Beachlover2]

Thanks for the photo.

That shows me exactly where they stopped - unfortunately one of our places is right there in the "short zone". So near and yet so far!!!!