HomeMy Public PortalAboutCOTI_PR20081020_BeachRenourishmentwPix.pdf
CITY OF TYBEE ISLAND
P.O. Box 2749 – 403 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, Georgia 31328-2749
(866) 786-4573 – FAX (866) 786-5737
www.cityoftybee.org
PRESS ADVISORY Contacts: Tybee Island
Michael Bodine, (912) 786-4273, x126
US Army Corps of Engineers
Rashida Banks, (912)652-5756
Tybee Island’s Beaches Being Replenished with More Sand
Tybee Island, Ga. – (October 20, 2008) Last week, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, LLC. of Oak Brook, Ill. (GLDD),
the contractor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, began loading new sand from the bottom of the ocean onto the
beaches of Tybee Island. The process is expected to take a minimum of 60 days, but rough weath er or unforeseen
problems could delay the project end date.
Dredge workers will move 1.2 million cubic yards of high quality sand from an area one-and-a-half miles from the
southern tip of Tybee Island through 30” diameter pipes and deposit it on the beaches. Tybee’s beaches have suffered
much erosion over the last several years. The shipping channel interrupts the natural cycle of sand replenishment. The
Army Corps of Engineers holds the responsibility of keeping the shipping channel clear for traffic into Savannah’s
ports. They also coordinate pumping new sand to compensate for the resulting losses. The new sand will help protect
Tybee’s fragile dunes from erosion and storm damage. It also helps the island to live up to its duties as a “barrier
island”, as the added sand can help slow storm surges heading for land during a hurricane.
The last renourishment project on Tybee took place in 2000. Efforts to put together the necessary cooperative funding
and organization among the city, the Army Corps, and the Coastal Resources Division of Georgia’s Department of
Natural Resources, and other State and Federal agencies have been under way for the past several years. The final
studies last year resulted in funding of $11M toward this current replenishment. This beach replenishment will provide
an improved beach for visiting tourists as well as protection for tidal marshes and habitats in the areas surrounding the
island.
To celebrate the beginning of the project, the city and the Corps of Engineers will conduct a Sand Throwing”
ceremony behind Beachside Colony at 404 Butler Avenue on Tybee Island at 10:30a.m., Monday, October 27.
Speakers at the event will include Mayor Jason Buelterman of the City of Tybee Island, Col . Edward Kertis,
Commander of the Savannah District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Representative Jack Kingston, State
Representative Burke Day, and County Commissioner Pete Liakakis. Other attendees will include Tybee’s City
Council, members of the Army Corps of Engineers, staff from GLDD and the City, and representatives of several local
government organizations.
Next year’s beach season holds promise for wider beaches available for sun bathing, swimming, kite-boarding and
surfing along Tybee’s new summer shoreline.
About Tybee Island, Ga.:
The City of Tybee Island, Georgia is on the outermost barrier island off the Savannah area coast. With a wild bird sanctuary, over
three miles of ocean beaches and salt marshes on the back river, outdoor recreation activities abound for visitors to the island. As a
key defense point to the important Savannah port, Tybee’s Fort Screve n, Tybee Fort Theater, Fort Pulaski, and the Tybee Island
P.O. Box 2749 – 403 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, Georgia 31328-2749
(866) 786-4573 – FAX (866) 786-5737
www.cityoftybee.org
and Cockspur Lighthouses combine with the unique architectures of the island’s raised cottages to form a rich backdrop for hi story
buffs. Attracting a strong artistic community, there are several local supporting art galleries. Keeping the island interesting year
round are several arts festivals, the Annual Pirate Fest, the Beach Bum Parade, St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the Hot Rod Run, the
Beach Bash, and the Christmas Parade, as well as fireworks displays on Independence and New Year’s Days off the Parker Pier
and Pavilion. The Marine Science Center cooperates with Georgia’s DNR to protect threatened sea turtle species by searching f or
nests, protecting their eggs, and making sure hatchlings make it to sea. For visitor information, stop by http://www.tybeevisit.com/,
and to find more about the City of Tybee Island, visit our web site at http://www.cityoftybee.org/.
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, LLC has their web site at http://www.gldd.com/.
About the US Army Corps of Engineers:
The web site for the Savannah District office of the Corps is located at http://www.sas.usace.army.mil/ with details of their missions
and organization found at http://www.usace.army.mil/who/.
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Attachments: (2) Equipment ready to begin. (1) Sand pumping begins on Tybee.
Copies of this release can also be found at http://www.cityoftybee.org/PressReleases.aspx