City of Sanibel Completes Plantings at Lighthouse Beach Park to Mitigate Impacts of Tropical Storm Debby
On July 20, 2012, the City of Sanibel completed the installation of 24 large green buttonwood trees along the access roadway at Lighthouse Beach Park. The trees were planted to mitigate erosion to the roadway caused by Tropical Storm Debby, which produced abnormally high tides and storm surge that inundated low-lying areas along the shoreline.
Once established, the trees’ roots will hold the sand in place and will help to minimize future storm-related impacts to the roadway. “It was clear from the areas where erosion did not occur that the existing green buttonwoods and mangroves did a good job of protecting the shoreline” stated James Evans, the City of Sanibel’s Director of Natural Resources. In addition to the tree plantings at Lighthouse Beach Park, the City is also installing beach dune plantings at several other beach parks on Sanibel, including Bowman’s Beach Park, Tarpon Bay Beach, Gulfside Park, and Lighthouse Beach Park. The plantings, which were funded by the Tourist Development Council Beach and Shoreline Program, help to protect Sanibel’s beaches from storm events and provide habitat for Sanibel’s unique wildlife.
For more information regarding this project, please contact the City of Sanibel's Natural Resources Department at (239) 472-3700.
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