Beach Nourishment from Offshore Sources

Jupiter Island, Florida, suffered severe damage to its ocean front in 1962. Heavy swells in March and Northeast storms in November and December removed most of the material from the ocean beach and exposed bulkhead walls to severe wave attack. Emergency dredging was used to place 60,000 yd of material on the beach, structures were reinforced by use of granite boulders and construction of groins, but the problem of continuing beach nourishment was solved in an unique manner. A drag-scraper was used to excavate material from the offshore bottoms, a distance of 800 ft seaward of ordinary high water. This beach nourishment program from offshore sources has been in progress for two summers; results to date (1965) are encouraging.