Tybee beaches, Savannah harbor get storm-relief funds

July 21--Tybee's beaches, the Savannah harbor and the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge will benefit from newly announced U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding to address damage from Hurricane Matthew and Tropical Storm Irma.

The Savannah District of the corps received the additional funds through a supplemental congressional appropriation that was passed into law in February, but corps officials announced the specifics of the funding earlier this week.

Tybee Island will receive $13 million for a completely federally-funded beach renourishment to restore storm protection, including dunes for the first time.

"Basically, after Matthew and Irma it was determined that we'd lost enough sand that it would justify another renourishment," said Tybee Mayor Jason Buelterman. "Additionally, they recognized the importance of dunes."

Tybee expects to see the renourishment happen in the fall of 2019, more than a year ahead of the original renourishment schedule. There may also be state money available. The governor's mid-year budget also made $10 million available for storm recovery on beaches, Buelterman said. Only Tybee and St. Simons, where Buelterman said there hasn't been public support for renourishment, would be vying for the money.

Buelterman has long lobbied for dunes to be included as a coastal protection and a necessary element of renourishments, as they are in the Northeast. He became a dune believer and even testified before Congress after he saw how New Jersey beach communities with strong dune systems were spared the worst damage. He met with coastal Georgia's Congressman Buddy Carter, a Republican, on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

"It'll do a lot to protect Tybee from hurricanes, at least the front side," said Buelterman, who thanked Carter for his "continued support of Tybee and his efforts to ensure the inclusion of dunes into the project."

Carter said he worked with the Appropriations Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Army Corps of Engineers to secure the funding.

"I understand that the strong dune systems on Tybee Island are instrumental in preventing additional damage during storms and hurricanes and we must work to strengthen them and build up areas that were washed out to help protect the beautiful island from future storms," he wrote in an email. "Because of this, I am continuously working in Congress to direct funding to support beach renourishment. I am also continuously working with the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure this funding is directed to projects in the First District of Georgia. I am thrilled Tybee Island received $13 million and I thank the Trump Administration for realizing the value of the project. Mayor Buelterman and I will continue to fight to secure additional funding in the future."

The Savannah harbor will benefit from $26.6 million earmarked to repair a variety of storm-related damages. The federal funding will be used for dredging to remove shoaling plus repairs to three storm-damaged structures: the corps' depot facility on Hutchinson Island, dikes in the riverside areas where dredge spoils are placed and a water control structure in the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.

The structure in the wildlife refuge was installed by the corps to mitigate for a previous harbor deepening project. Located off the wildlife drive, it controls the flow of salt water into the refuge's fresh water wetlands, said Holly Gaboriault, the project leader for the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex.

"During Tropical Storm Irma the structure in the canal was blown out along with the road on top," she said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which operates the refuge, is responsible for fixing the road. Gaboriault expects to coordinate the projects and begin work next winter.

The earthen dikes around the dredge spoils area eroded in the storms and will be repaired with this funding, as will the Corps' dock, which is next door to the Westin on Hutchinson Island, said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District spokesman Billy Birdwell. The corps has to write and bid the contracts for the work, which will likely start next year, he said.

In addition, Georgia's Brunswick harbor and the Georgia section of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway were also included in the congressional appropriation at an amount not yet fully determined. The funds will be used to dredge shoaling in Brunswick Harbor and to dredge shoaling at shallow areas along the Intracoastal.

"This funding shows the commitment Congress and the Corps of Engineers continues to make for the benefit and safety of the people along the Georgia coast," Col. Daniel H. Hibner, Commander of the Savannah District, said. "We look forward to completing these projects."

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