Surfrider Foundation - Palm Beach County Chapter : Reach 8

Campaigns and Initiatives

Reach 8 Permit Officially Denied
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Reach 8 – Town of Palm Beach’s Proposed Dredge & Fill:

The Town of Palm Beach is currently seeking a permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the Reach 8 Dredge and Fill Project (from approximately the Par 3 Golf Course in Palm Beach, to about one third mile south of the Lake Worth Pier).

View Blog: Save Lake Worth Beach & Reefs for Surfing, Diving & Fishing

Surfrider Foundation asserts that the proposed Reach 8 Project carries serious negative impact, including:

Degradation of near-shore and off-shore reef
Potentially increasing risk of shark attacks because of turbidity
Harm to wildlife, including sea turtles and their nesting areas
Ruining surf spots, and fishing and diving areas
Covering our beaches with silty, fine or coarse, gray fill

View the updated legal proceedings

Dredge & Fill Projects Like Reach 8 Don't Work

Reach 8 would be a waste of taxpayer dollars in the millions because these projects don't work and require frequent maintenance. Poor quality fill easily washes away.

Distant Tropical Storm Andrea recently illustrated how the use of poor quality dredged material is ill-advised.

Two examples are:

(1) The recently washed-away 2006 dredge and fill project by the Town of Palm Beach at Reach 7 (Phipps Park to the Par Three Golf Course);

(2) The recently washed away 2006 dune restoration project by the Town (within Reach 8), which was constructed of 6,000 truckloads of the same poor quality dredged material and caused increased unmitigated impacts to nearshore hard bottom in Reach 8.

Surfrider Foundation would posit that a false sense of security is being given to coastal residents who allow poor material to “protect” their property.

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