In a first-time collaboration, the City of Boca Raton, the City of Deerfield Beach, and the Town of Hillsboro, Florida, came together to complete a joint nourishment project. External compound forces like wind, waves, currents, storms, sea level rise, and the manipulation of inlets can cause beach erosion. By itself, the City of Boca Raton has completed over 12 beach renourishment projects—some of which were hurricane repair and hurricane emergency projects. Just south of Boca Raton, a 3.8-mile-long stretch of beach located along Hillsboro Beach and the south extent of Deerfield Beach was deemed critically eroded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
The project, completed in May 2023, successfully placed approximately 200,000 cubic yards of sand along the Town of Hillsboro Beach and the City of Deerfield Beach and approximately 210,000 cubic yards of sand along Boca Raton beaches. Through this coordinated effort, the key players were successfully able to decrease operations costs and maximize dredge volumes.
This remarkable cooperation, which led to the successful completion of the nourishment project, received accolades at this year’s recent 2nd Annual Florida Resilience Conference.
Figure 1. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company outside of Boca Raton Inlet. (Image credit: City of Boca Raton)
A Unique Collaboration
The project was not your typical beach restoration effort. It involved the combined efforts of three coastal municipalities—the City of Boca Raton, the City of Deerfield Beach, and the Town of Hillsboro—and three engineering consulting companies—Coastal Protection Engineering (CPE), Moffatt & Nichol, and Geosyntec-ATM—making it a complex and ambitious undertaking. This unique collaboration was a testament to the power of teamwork and effective project management.
The combined City of Boca Raton, City of Deerfield Beach, and Town of Hillsboro, Florida Joint Nourishment Project earned the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) Award of 2023 Best Restored Beach and will be honored during the upcoming Spring 2024 ASBPA Coastal Summit in Washington, DC. This project was selected for this award for multiple due to its successful partnership between multiple municipalities and consulting agencies that exemplified the use of shared permits and provided a unified workforce to meet the needs of a cost-effective renourishment project.
Survey Support by Morgan & Eklund, Inc.
Morgan & Eklund, Inc. (M&E) played a crucial role in this project by providing necessary survey support. Through a subcontract by both the construction company and coastal engineer, M&E collected essential data required by FDEP that was instrumental in ensuring the successful completion of the beach nourishment project.
The survey requirements set forth by FDEP demanded precision and adherence to established standards. M&E’s experienced field crews and office staff rose to the occasion, conducting pre-construction multibeam surveys and pre- and post-construction beach profiles for approximately 17,000 linear feet of beach, spanning from FDEP Range Monuments R-1 to R-18 within the project. These surveys extended from landward of the edge of vegetation to approximately 3,000 feet offshore, always adhering to stringent standards and guidelines. Our success in completing all survey tasks in a timely manner and within budget is a prime example of our commitment to see a project through to completion.
“At Morgan & Eklund, Inc. (M&E), we couldn’t be prouder of our role in this project’s success,” states Rob Collaro, M&E Director of Director of Hydrographic and Land Survey Business, “This successful endeavor earned recognition and accolades, including the prestigious ASBPA Award of 2023 Best Restored Beach.”
Figure 2. 2023 post-construction beach profiles, looking south over the Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier. (Image credit: M&E)
A Continuing Legacy
M&E’s contributions to the City of Boca, City of Deerfield Beach, and Town of Hillsboro Florida Joint Nourishment Project served as a shining example of our dedication to environmental stewardship and coastal preservation. Our expertise and commitment to quality played an instrumental role in making these projects a resounding success.
To learn more about M&E’s survey services and dedication to the coastal environment, visit: www.morganeklund.com.
