Project Description
A small (1,200 foot long) beach toward the south end of Hutchinson Island in Martin County, Bathtub Beach offers a rare variety of Atlantic Ocean recreational opportunities. A reef extending from the shore at the north end of the park and lying in general less than 300 feet from the shoreline provides a very calm swimming area (the bathtub) and provides snorkelers and swimmers easy access to the shallow reef at the ocean edge of the bathtub. It is one of the County’s most popular parks. In 2008, late fall storms eroded the beach, damaging adjacent park buildings and parking lot, requiring closure of the park. Homes immediately north of the project lost the sand under their houses, exposing the pilings. Storm waves washed over the sole road providing access to the park and a private community, Sailfish Point, located at the south end of Hutchinson Island. Martin County retained Taylor Engineering to develop all aspects of the Bathtub Beach Restoration Project including emergency fill permits to stop the advance of the ocean, engineering and environmental design, permitting, and construction administration of a full restoration project.
The restoration project had to avoid impacts to the reef, avoid turtle nesting season, provide sufficient fill to protect park infrastructure, and use a source of beach quality sand that would allow cost-effective project construction. Taylor Engineering permitted a project that used sand from the flood shoal of the St. Lucie Inlet (a few miles south of the project beach that provides habitat for overwintering migratory bird species); and designed a fill template using historic beach profile data to identify the minimally protective fill volume (about 35,0000 cubic yards). The regulatory agencies accepted the engineering analysis, which did not include application of standard coastal engineering models to demonstrate project performance. Finally, Taylor Engineering assisted the County with bid support and construction administration. The construction project occurred in spring 2010, ending April 30, the day before the beginning of turtle nesting season.
Bathtub Beach Before Conditions
Bathtub Beach Before Conditions
