There has been a lot of erosion along the beaches here in South Florida this past winter and spring. And this when the area is still experiencing drought conditions. Beach restoration began this month from the St. Lucie County line to Stuart Beach, and up in Fort Pierce, the area around Jetty Park is in the middle of a $430,000 sand operation. Just last week, two of the three public beach entrances in Palm Beach were closed due to the disappearance of the sand, with a drop-off where the stairway once led to the beach. The reasons for this have been harsh winters, strong winds, and persistent wave action. I myself can attest to the strong winds and persistent wave action. Virtually every time I have gone to the beach this spring, the wind and waves have been relentless, and red and yellow warning flags have been the norm. I took the photograph above at the Juno Beach pier just a few weeks ago and there were only a few brave souls along the shore. A major complication to the restoration project between Jensen and Stuart Beaches is that it is turtle nesting season, and there is danger that the sea turtle eggs will be crushed by construction equipment or buried too deep for the hatchlings to survive. Just yesterday there was an article on the website of WPEC 12News in West Palm Beach that volunteers have relocated more than 4,100 sea turtle eggs from 45 nests along the Treasure Coast over the past few weeks. These volunteers patrol the beach every night looking for new nests and have 24 hours to relocate the eggs from the construction area before they can no longer be safely moved. Each egg has to be dug up and moved by hand to a safe location. Remember, we are talking about 4,100 sea turtle eggs! Talk about dedication. Who says there are not many good people out there these days?
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