Goodloe Marine ready to renourish Island - project should start by mid-July
By Rick Catlin
Islander Reporter
Ben Goodloe of Goodloe Marine in Apollo Beach said his company has already begun preparing its dredge and equipment for movement to Anna Maria Island for the emergency beach renourishment project.
Two weeks ago, the company was awarded a $4.8 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contract to renourish the Anna Maria Island's beaches. Four hurricanes passing through Florida last year seriously eroded 17 Florida beach locations, including the Island's shoreline.
Goodloe said he's just waiting on the official notification from the Corps.
"We haven't got our notice to proceed yet, but our equipment is packed up and ready to go." Goodloe's dredge for the project is currently in Pascagoula, Miss.
"Depending upon the weather, the dredge should leave on June 20 and, hopefully, reach here on June 27," he said. "We hope to start pumping around the middle of July and we'll start at the north end of the Island and work our way south."
While the Corps has given him 108 days to complete the contract, he expects to finish in much less time, but the completion is dependent upon the weather. "The weather will be the biggest determining factor on when we finish. Let's hope we don't have a hurricane season like last year," Goodloe noted.
He anticipated the Anna Maria portion of the renourishment, which is only about 35,000 cubic yards of dredged sand for a .6 mile stretch of beach, should take seven to 10 days, again depending upon the weather. |
