Babe's Beach Nourishment Project 2019

What:

The $20.9 million project will bring up to 711,000 cubic yards of sand dredged from the ship channel to nourish the area known as Babe’s Beach and is expected to expand the beach further west

Where:

The project will begin at 61^st Street and will extend the beach westward
The main pipe that will carry the sand from the dredge to the beach is located just east of 69^th Street

Who Is Involved:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Galveston Park Board, City of Galveston and the Texas General Land Office (GLO)

When:

Crews began mobilizing ocean pipe and equipment on July 29^th
The arrival of the dredge will determine when the sand is placed
Once sand placement begins, crews will work around the clock to complete
The project is estimated to take 60 days to complete (35 days of beach construction)

How:

The Ellis Island will dredge in certain reaches of the channel, sail to the ocean pipe, hook up to the pipe and then pump to the beach, over and over again

Why:

Wide, healthy beaches serve as vital protection from storm surges
They also provide more recreation area for beachgoers

Of Note:

There is a wildlife monitor on- throughout the project ensuring the safety of the wildlife in the areas that the work is occurring
All sand is rigorously tested before being placed on the beaches to ensure it meets federal and state standards
The sand will appear dark in color when initially placed and will lighten it dries and will bleach it over time

What’s Next:

Our next nourishment project will be a sand and dune project from the end of the Seawall to the western edge of Dellanera RV Park planned for 2020. It will place up to 118,000 cubic yards of sand on approximately 2,100 linear feet of engineered beach
We are also currently in the pilot phase of a sand harvesting project that will utilize new technology that will allow us to take sand from areas of the Island where we “accrete”, or gain sand, like East Beach and move it to the areas of the beaches where we are losing sand to erosion using collector boxes just below the surface at the water’s edge

Major Galveston Beach Expansion to Begin in August

A major beach nourishment and expansion will begin in early August in Galveston. The $20.9 million project will dredge sand from the Galveston Ship Channel and is expected to place a portion of the material, up to 711,000 cubic yards, along the island’s seawall beginning at 61^st Street moving west toward 83^rd Street. The project is a collaborative effort sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Galveston Park Board, City of Galveston and the Texas General Land Office (GLO).

"Beaches are critical to our tourism industry and essential to combating storm surge,” Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush said. “We simply cannot afford to lose them to erosion or hurricanes. Using dredge material to keep our beaches well maintained is just common sense. We are grateful to have such cooperation among city, state and federal governments working together for the good of Texas."

“Beach nourishment projects have proven to provide needed storm surge protection for our community, as well as beautiful beaches for our visitors to enjoy,” Park Board Executive Director Kelly de Schaun said. “We are thankful for the investments that the GLO and USACE continue to make in Galveston.”

Crews will begin placing equipment on Galveston’s beaches at the end of July with sand placement scheduled to begin around August 10^th. The project will take approximately 60 days to complete. During construction, public access to west seawall beaches beginning at 61^st moving west toward 83^rd Street will be limited.

“The USACE Galveston District is excited to partner with the Galveston Park Board of Trustees and GLO in order to carry out a dredging project that will benefit channel users and Galveston residents,” USACE Operations Manager Tricia Campbell said. “While undertaking its mission of keeping America’s waterways navigable, the Corps is able to turn that into an added benefit for the community by placing dredged material (sand) on the Galveston beach for tourists and residents to enjoy. This beneficial use project allows the Corps to work with a cost-sharing sponsor to place dredged material along the coastline.”

Once the project begins, it can be viewed online via live webcams at www.galvestonparkboard.org/sandcam

For more information on Galveston’s beaches, visit www.galvestonparkboard.org