TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — In Pinellas County, work continues to restore the dunes destroyed by Hurricane Idalia.
Work is underway on Sunset Beach, Pass-a-Grille Beach and Belleair Beach.
Along Sunset Beach, the project has now entered its second phase – planting vegetation. Tons of sand have been hauled in a dispersed to replace the dunes. Now, grass and other plants are being planted to help keep the dunes in place.
"We're planting four different native species in hopes that they will help stabilize the newly constructed dune," Lauren Doing, the county's ecological services expert, said.
Over the next week, crews will cover the dunes with plants, providing an extra layer of protection from erosion.
"We're going to be monitoring the plants for 90 days," Doing explained. "If there happened to be losses, we will be replanting them."
On Belleair Beach and Pass-a-Grille, work is being done to bring sand in and disperse it to recreate the dunes lost by Hurricane Idalia. Once that work is complete, vegetation will be planted over the dunes, just like on Sunset Beach.
As this work continues, county and municipal officials are asking residents to stay off the dunes. Trespassing on the construction zones can result in felony charges and it will slow the project's progress.
"Belleair Beach is closed in the construction zone, but some people are still walking along the beach or accessing the gulf," the county shared in an email. "While doing so, they are walking over the newly constructed dunes and damaging them before the county has had a chance to finish the project."
Work will soon begin on Upham Beach. Future project sites may include Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Redington Shores or Madeira Beach. The multi-million dollar project is funded by Tourist Development Tax dollars.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.