Renourishment in Lee County funded
ee coThe Lee Board of County Commissioners voted last week to award a nearly $39.2 contract to nourish beaches on Lovers Key and Bonita Beach to address chronic erosion and damage caused by Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
The main project consists of 1.1 miles of shoreline within Lovers Key State Park and 0.8 miles of shoreline at the northern end of Bonita Beach (Little Hickory Island). In addition, in cooperation with the City of Bonita Springs, hurricane damage to the upper beach and dunes will be repaired on a one-time basis from Bonita Beach to the Lee-Collier County line. Weeks Marine Inc. will excavate, transport and place beach-compatible sand from a Gulf of Mexico sand source to nourish multiple beach segments. These areas have been designated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) as critically eroded.
The Lovers Key segment will be completed using funds from Lee County’s Tourist Development Tax (a tax on short-term lodging), funding from FDEP, and Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund. The Bonita Beach segment will include funding from the Tourist Development Tax, FDEP, FEMA, and City of Bonita Springs. A south Bonita Beach segment will be solely funded by FDEP through the City of Bonita Springs. The Tourist Development Tax, FDEP, City of Bonita Springs, and FEMA are providing $23.6 million, $7.7 million, $5.8 million, and $2 million, respectively, to the project.
Work is scheduled to begin Oct. 15, and will be completed by mid-June 2025. Beaches will remain open, except in the safety zones where sand is actively being placed. Beyond beach renourishment, the project also includes restoring three public beach access points along Bonita Beach, which sustained significant structural damage from Hurricane Ian. The affected structures include the restroom and county office building at Bonita Beach Park, two restroom buildings at Little Hickory Island Beach Park, and the wooden boardwalks and pavilions at all three parks.
