Weeks Marine, Inc. deployed two hopper dredges to collect and transport an estimated 754,600 cubic yards of sand from the Canaveral Shoals borrow area, pumping it onto the beaches of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach through a nearshore pipeline that was relocated as necessary.  A total of 5.95 miles of beach within the North Reach were renourished in 2005.

While the North Reach includes all the beaches between Jetty Park and Patrick Air Force Base, not all of the North Reach beaches were included in the 2005 renourishment efforts.  The beaches between Jetty Park and Cherie Down Park in Cape Canaveral, and between Gadsden Lane and North 3rd Street in Cocoa Beach did not suffer sufficient erosion to qualify for renourishment. In fact, “overwash” during the first storm added sand to some of the dunes along the North Reach area.

North Reach project areas renourished in 2005 were separated into two parts.  North Reach Part 1 (between North 3rd Street and PAFB) received an estimated 353,900 cubic yards of sand.  North Reach Part 2 (between Cherie Down Park and Gadsden Lane) received an estimated 401,600 cubic yards of sand. The project began at the south end of Part 1 in the most critically eroded portion of the North Reach and continued northward.

North Reach Satellite Image – Click to View

NORTH REACH HISTORY

The Brevard County Shore Protection Project finally became a reality for Space Coast residents on August 28, 2000, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded initial restoration of the North Reach (encompassing Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach) to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company. Using innovative construction methodology suggested by Brevard County, this phase in the restoration of the North Reach was completed one year ahead of schedule at a cost savings exceeding $700,000.00

In just one season, the entire 9.4 mile North Reach was renourished placing 2.8 million cubic yards of sand on the beaches of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.

On October 1, 2000, the first hopper dredge, the Padre Island, arrived and began moving sand from the Canaveral Shoals offshore borrow area into the North Reach nearshore re-handling area located 4,000 ft. offshore Cocoa Beach, across from the Minutemen Causeway. A second hopper dredge, the Manhattan Island, joined the operation on October 8, 2000. Despite rough seas, both dredges continued to move sand around the clock. A third dredge, the Dodge Island, joined operations later in the project.

To protect sea turtle hatchlings, no sand was placed on the beach until the end of the 2000 turtle nesting season. In mid-November 2000, the Alaska—a cutterhead dredge—arrived and, aided by a booster pump, began pumping sand onto the shore via a pipeline running from the North Reach nearshore and re-handling area.

The first area to receive sand was the Base Bid area, which began between 2nd and 3rd St. North in Cocoa Beach and extended south to the northern edge of Patrick Air Force Base. VIEW MAP (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). This was one of the most critically eroded shorelines in Brevard County. Renourishment of the Base Bid area was completed on January 7, 2001.

Option A, which began south of SR 520 and extended north through the City of Cape Canaveral, was the next area to receive sand, and was completed on February 26, 2001. The area between the Base Bid and Option A was Option B. Option B was not scheduled for construction the same season, but due to County improvements on the construction method, a flawless construction operation, and receipt of additional funds from mid-year transfers, Option B was completed one year ahead of schedule.

Constructing the entire North Reach of the Brevard County Shore Protection Project in one season was a truly amazing feat!

Storms don't always result in beach erosion.  Hurricane Frances deposited additional sand on some dunes in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, as evidenced by the partially-buried beach vegetation in these photos.  But Hurricane Jeanne was soon to counter this development.