Palm Beach County residents fear erosion may ruin their beaches

Palm Beach County, Florida, waterfront residents lost out on getting new erosion-fighting structures once again on Tuesday, February 7, 2012, reports SunSentinel.com.

One year after the County Commission rejected plans to build rock wall breakwaters parallel to the coast, a second plan to build smaller erosion control structures perpendicular to the shore was scraped because of cost concerns and threats to endangered sea turtles, according to the news source.

The latest erosion plan involved building T-shaped rock structures extending into the ocean and running perpendicular to the shore. The project would have cost approximately $14 million.

County Commission officials opted to import sand to build up the dunes in the area. However, special erosion control products may be a more useful approach to preventing Palm Beach County’s sand from falling into the ocean.

Straw Wattle is made from 100 percent certified California rice. The erosion control product also retains sediments on slopes and can keep sand in place on beach environments. County Commission officials in Palm Beach County may want to hold the sand they import in place with straw wattle products. They may be able to help maintain the beach environment that attracts tourists each year to the Florida coast. 

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