Over the next couple of months you may notice some different activity on the beach. The city is in the process of the beach renourishment project. Every 5-6 years the city brings in new sand in order to combat the sand erosion that is caused by storms over the years. There will be approximately 2.1 million cubic yards of sand placed on the beach as a result of this project. The periodic beach renourishment is extremely important in keeping the beaches of Panama City Beach the beautiful beaches that we know in love.
You might be asking yourself how this is going to affect your trip for January and February of 2022? This project is affecting the east and west ends of the beach meaning that anyone staying on these ends of the beach may see some of the equipment being used for the project during their stay. It is important to note that you will still be able to enjoy the beach and the attractions in Panama City Beach. While you may be able to see the equipment, it is important to remember that completing this project now is combating the beach erosion and is therefore ensuring that you will still be able to enjoy the same beautiful beach for years to come.
You may also find yourself asking “How do I access the beach when there is construction going on in front of my property and how can I get over the dredge pipe?”. At any given time the work area is limited to approximately 1-2,000 foot section of the beach. If you walk laterally along the beach until you reach the end of the active work area, you will find a sand bridge that will allow you to cross the dredge pipe and access the Gulf. The contractor performing the renourishment will be building sand bridges over the dredge pipe to ensure that there is a constant and seamless access to the rest of the beach and the Gulf throughout the duration of the project.
Another common question is “why is this project necessary?”. In 1995, Hurricane Opal, caused a large amount of erosion which put the beaches in jeopardy. Three short years later, the erosion had become so bad that the city decided to do the first beach renourishment project and brought in 9.8 million cubic yards of sand. Since the first renourishment, the city has done three other renourishment projects before this one. Doing periodic beach renourishment ensures that there is plenty of sand and makes it so that significantly less sand needs to be brought in with each project.
If you have any questions about the beach renourishment project, or would like to keep an eye on the schedule visit https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/things-to-do/beaches/beach-renourishment/.