Beach & Tourism

Equipment Staging Begins for Delray Beach Replenishment Project

by
Daniel Nee
January 6, 2026

About two weeks after a ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony welcoming a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers beach replenishment project to Delray Beach, equipment began to arrive Monday in anticipation of the beach-widening effort that will begin in the coming weeks and last through March.

Beach replenishment equipment is staged and access points are established for beach replenishment in Delray Beach, FL, Jan. 5, 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Equipment is being staged at Casuarina Road, the southernmost street along Delray Beach’s public oceanfront drive, and one of the widest portions of the beach. The site was chosen because it has ample room for equipment to be stored so it can be moved northward where much skinnier sections of sand will be filled with sand pumped from donor sites on the ocean floor. The boats – hopper dredges owned by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company – vacuum sand from the donor sites, then use a diesel engine to pump it through a network of pipes onto shore.The donor sites are chosen based on studies that identify “vacant” sand so wildlife is not affected, with the grain quality of the sand matching that of the beachfront as a whole.

When the pipes reach shore, the sand is pumped through a filter, then spread with heavy equipment such as bulldozers and excavators across the beach in order to widen it and bulk up the protective dune line. Some of the first pieces of equipment to arrive – aside from portable toilets, of course – are modified trucks that can grab the large metal dredge pipes and arrange them along the shoreline.

Beach replenishment equipment is staged and access points are established for beach replenishment in Delray Beach, FL, Jan. 5, 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

“Delray Beach is proud to be taking this important step toward protecting our coastline and ensuring the future vitality of our community,” said City Manager Terrence Moore. “This project reflects the strength of our partnerships at every level of government and our shared commitment to a resilient Delray Beach.”

During “King Tides” as recently as October, the beach berm – the portion of sand between the dune and the ocean where beachgoers spread their blankets and post their umbrellas – measured little more than 10 to 15 feet at the time of high tide, making some blocks of the beach inaccessible. Making matters more dire, some of the skinniest portions of beachfront are near the center of town, just south of busy Atlantic Avenue.

The federal government in October awarded a $19,180,000 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company to perform a renourishment project along the length of the Delray Beach oceanfront. The project will see the delivery of an initial 450,000 cubic yards of sand alongside a fully permitted “template beach repair,” adding an additional 750,000 cubic yards of advanced fill sand to provide additional storm protection and widen recreational beaches.

Beach replenishment equipment is staged and access points are established for beach replenishment in Delray Beach, FL, Jan. 5, 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Last summer, Delray Beach officials approved a cost share agreement with Palm Beach County that calls for the county to fund 20 percent of the city’s share, in addition to the 50 percent of the total project cost covered by the state. In all, Delray Beach has committed to fund a $5.4 million portion of the project.

The replenishment will be fully completed before the start of sea turtle nesting season.