Beach & Tourism

10-Foot ‘Cliffs’ Form Along Boca Raton’s Oceanfront As Officials Await Return of Dredge Boat

by
Daniel Nee
February 11, 2026

A portion of oceanfront in Boca Raton is largely inaccessible to beachgoers, with “cliffs” in the sand in excess of 10-feet in some locations cutting off entrances and even blocking some access to the south jetty of Boca Raton Inlet, a popular fishing area.

South Inlet Park had a minimal amount of sand left this week, with the steep hill having been blocked off the visitors due to safety concerns. In the inlet itself the storm prevailing winds that led to the severe beach erosion have produced shoaling along the north jetty of the inlet, creating a sand bar that boaters should avoid. Some anecdotal reports from boaters indicated a second bar having formed about 100 yards off the mouth of the inlet.

‘Cliffs’ formed at Boca Raton’s South Inlet beach from weather fronts that produced erosion, Feb. 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Boca Raton is one of the few cities in America to operate a municipal dredge boat with the ability to deepen an inlet. As part of the city’s system, the dredge boat scrapes sand accumulated in the inlet into its hull, where it is then propelled through pipes to an outfall location on the south side. Dredging serves the dual purpose of keeping the inlet deep while pumping sand onto the erosion-prone beach. The dredge, however, is undergoing maintenance and will not be available for another week, officials said.

“The recent cold fronts have affected more than the iguanas,” said city spokesperson Ileana Olmsted. “There has been increased wave energy along our coastline causing sand to migrate along the beaches.”

Typically, sand is deposited with more shoaling in certain areas dictated by the geometry and water speeds in the inlet, said Olmsted. The city’s dredge boat is in its final stages of routine maintenance, and in the mean time, officials have been monitoring the beaches and the inlet.

‘Cliffs’ formed at Boca Raton’s South Inlet beach from weather fronts that produced erosion, Feb. 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

“Even with the increased shoaling, navigation through the inlet remained unimpeded,” she said. “Sand placement is needed at South Inlet Park and will be completed once dredge operations resume.”

Depth measurements in the inlet over the weekend – taken approximately 2 hours before high tide – showed the straightaway area in the middle of the channel mainly having a depth of at least 8-feet. In the typical shoaling area on the north side of the channel, a minimum of 8-feet of depth was also seen. Further into the inlet, depths increased to 10-feet or more. At the turn in the inlet, a minimum depth of 6-feet was observed.

A shoal along the north jetty of Boca Raton Inlet, Feb. 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

‘Cliffs’ formed at Boca Raton’s South Inlet beach from weather fronts that produced erosion, Feb. 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The city’s dredge is scheduled to be towed back to the inlet this week, said Olmsted. Once it is back, the discharge hose will need to be reconnected with sand pumping, which is anticipated to resume the week of Feb. 16. The city does have dredging contractors it could use in emergency scenarios, Olmsted said, however the in-house dredge boat will be back in service before any private dredging company would be able to stage its equipment.