Part of a $2.5 million Singer Island beach restoration washed away, but refills are coming

Mother nature has played havoc with Palm Beach County’s emergency dune restoration plans, already washing away more than 20,000 tons of sand deposited in Singer Island as part of a $2.5 million project. Another $2 million is expected to be spent to help restore beaches at Coral Cove Park in Tequesta.

Several strong windstorms and king tides late last year caused such severe beach erosion that the county declared an emergency and authorized the placement of 53,000 tons of sand onto Singer Island beaches and another 45,000 tons onto Coral Cove beaches.

Andy Studt, who oversees the county’s dune restoration programs, said 70% of the county's 47-mile coastline, much of it in the northern end, is considered “critically eroded.”