Beaches

Beach access at San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve on John Morris Road is going to be closed from Monday, Feb. 9, through Wednesday, Feb. 11, while Lee County Department of Transportation rebuilds a berm.

Beach dunes may look like sand covered in weeds, but there’s more to these mounds than meets the eye. It’s illegal to interfere or drive on them under Chapter 161 of the Florida Statutes. But some travelers and Southwest Florida residents are unaware of this fact, according to Jeannine Richards, Ph.D. and assistant professor of ecology and environmental studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. Richards said that when people violate this rule, the repercussions are far greater than just leaving a footprint.

Due to a beach renourishment project designed to strengthen and protect the shoreline between Blind Pass and Bowman's Beach Park, the Blind Pass Beach parking lot will be closed for staging equipment beginning tonight (Friday evening, November 21).

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County said that tests completed this week found the previously high level of enterococcus has decreased to an acceptable level, and it has lifted its advisory.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a bill reversing a controversial 2018 law that led to limited public beach access in some areas. Lawmakers in April passed the bill (SB 1622) after widespread complaints about waterfront property owners in Walton County preventing people from using beaches.

It’s sea turtle nesting season, and everyone knows what that means — turn off your lights at night. Flipping your light switch is an easy way to feel like an environmental superstar, but what else can you do to support these little turtles?

Battered by hurricanes and heavy tourism, Lee County’s beaches are fighting a quiet battle: an overwhelming tide of trash. From mangroves to the sandy shores, volunteers have hauled away tens of thousands of pounds of debris this past year, a stubborn reminder that paradise needs constant protection.In the past year alone, cleanup crews and volunteers in Lee County have collected more than 50,000 pounds of trash from beaches, waterways, and mangroves. Powerful storms and careless visitors dumped much of the stuff on the coastline.

The Captiva Erosion Prevention District will hold a public hearing Monday on a tentative apportionment for a beach renourishment project set to start this summer.The estimated $26.67 million project cost will be paid, partly, through special assessments imposed on the properties that benefit.

Over the past year, the City of Sanibel placed more than 400,000 tons of sand to restore beaches devastated by recent hurricanes. With that phase complete, the focus shifted to replanting the beaches to reinforce the natural dune structure. Over 32,000 plants of a variety of species were planted, strengthening the beach with their root systems.

Debris should be separated into one of five groups in order for FEMA to pick it up.