County: Beach Sand Project Did What It Was Built to Do

Volusia County officials say a $25 million sand placement project in New Smyrna Beach performed as designed after king tides carved steep cliffs along the coastline and exposed seawalls in areas the county had just rebuilt with new sand.

Cliffs as tall as nearly 5 feet appeared along parts of the beach. At 27th Avenue Beach Park, sand that covered the beach one month ago has largely disappeared. Jessica Fentress, Volusia County's coastal director, said the placed sand was meant to take the hit from the tides rather than protect the shoreline indefinitely.

The county placed the sand as a short-term buffer in front of properties with seawalls and properties not permitted to have them, along with public infrastructure, Fentress said. Tracy Capps, who manages a local condo club in New Smyrna Beach, said the project kept walkways and sand in place in front of seawalls. "It saved us," Capps said. Not every stretch held. A local resident named Harry said of 27th Avenue Beach Park: "Now we're back to kind of where we were before."

Volusia County lost more than 6 million cubic yards of sand after the 2022 hurricanes, a figure officials said far exceeds what this year's project could replace. Fentress said the county is pursuing a federal project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She said a federal project would carry a $0 local cost share after a hurricane, and that the county hopes to sign an agreement with the Army Corps before the end of the year. Votes on the project are expected at the county council in early 2027.

Some sand moved offshore during the king tides. Officials said displaced sand may migrate back toward the beach as wave conditions settle.