Seagulls wait for dump trucks to offload sand.
Joseph, in the yellow shirt, had a blast playing in the fresh sand. Over time, the tides will smooth out the 5-ft. edge. You can see how deep the "new" beach will be from the seawall.Yesterday, Joseph and I went to the Seawall to check out the beach renourishment (or beach reconstruction) close up. Hurricane Ike blew away the beaches that are a vital tourism attraction in Galveston. Instead of fine, fluffy sand, the storm left mile after mile of broken seashells, which is no day at the beach.
Dump trucks are bringing in 400,000 cubic yards of sand from other parts of the island to widen the beach to about 70 feet and 5 feet deep. (I'm guessing each dump truck carries 8 cubic yards, so that's 50,000 loads!) Dump trucks have been hauling sand along the Seawall since December 17.
The renourished beaches, coupled with the mild weather we've been having, have brought out the courious. Yesterday, a holiday for most kids, the beaches looked as if it was early summer.
Although the wider beaches will make the island more attractive, the project is really designed to protect the base of the seawall from erosion. The project must be finished by March 31 so it doesn’t interfere with the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nesting season.
If you want to read more about the beach renourishment, here are some links to recent news reports. Note: My husband, Eddie, serves on the Park Board.
Park board agrees to match state beach funds
State pledges $3M for beach reconstruction
State looking for funds to finish beach projects
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