Longboat Key moves forward with beach projects

The town of Longboat Key is working on four beach renourishment projects throughout the island.

Town staff and a coastal consultant are evaluating potential long-term impacts from Tropical Storm Eta before embarking on a yearslong plan to renourish the beaches.

“They’ve indicated that there are some areas of concern,” Town Manager Tom Harmer said. “When you do this assessment, you have to look to look at, not just which sand may have been impacted through the erosion from the storm, but they look at the entire beach profile, which goes out into the water to see where did that sand go?”

Harmer said in some cases sand might have moved on the island and in others, the sand might still be in the water.

“You can look at it a day or two after the storm, but you have to kind of take a little longer view to see where that sand may end up,” Harmer said.

Before Eta passed through, Longboat Key projects manager Charlie Mopps updated commissioners about four beach projects the town is working on: emergency dredging at Canal 1A, Greer Island spit management, beach renourishment, and the New Pass groin maintenance.