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Dec 12, 2008 7:43 pm US/Eastern
Battling Nature As It Steals South Florida Beaches
In The Early 1980s, Miami Beach Was Restored At A Cost Of $65-Mmillion Along Ten Miles Off Shore
MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) ―
The erosion problem is not new: beaches in Miami-Dade were first declared in need of help in the 1950s, and beach replenishment projects have been undertaken every five years.
Beach erosion is the top concern for seaside residents, but as the shoreline dwindles, citizens cry for help and politicians fight for money.
So on Friday, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen was accompanied by Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower, Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Bruno Barreiro and State Representative Luis Garcia for a tour of some areas affected by the eroding shoreline.
Rep. Ros-Lehtinen has led an effort to assure that beach erosion problems get attention from federal officials in Washington, DC.
Walking along the beach at Collins and 65th street -- a hot spot of beach erosion leading right up to the condominiums -- the congresswoman explained it is an economic issue as well as a safety issue.
"You will have a potential river going all the way up to the condos and to the street and possibly to the mainland," she remarked.
Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower said, "Mother nature wants its sand back and so we have to put it back and stay on top of it."
For 30 years the city has replenished its beaches with sand from offshore sources, pumping it directly from the ocean floor.
But these sources are thinning, and the process is complicated by three sensitive coral reefs that run parallel to the coastline. Consequently, local leaders must look elsewhere for sand.
And while no domestic sand is available, the Army Corp of Engineers is working out a bidding process to bring in sand from the Bahamas.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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