The never-ending struggle to protect Georgia’s most popular beach

Tybee Island, off the Georgia coast, loses sand faster than nature can replace it because development, sea walls, and a shipping channel have cut off the natural flow that used to replenish its beaches. The Army Corps of Engineers has pumped sand onto the island every seven years since the 1970s, but more than half of the 1.3 million cubic yards placed in 2019-2020 has already washed away, leaving five-foot sand cliffs where gentle dunes used to be.

The erosion has exposed sea turtle nests, pushed beach chair rental operations off the sand, and cost at least one hotel bookings. City manager Bret Bell says the dune system is the island's only real defense against storm surge as sea levels rise about half an inch a year.

Tybee needed $20 million for its next renourishment, with local governments covering 40 percent, but Congress underfunded the federal program and the island was initially left off the project list. A lobbying campaign and a lucky break — New Jersey projects coming in under budget — freed up funds, and work is now set to begin this winter using a new method meant to stretch the project's lifespan to a decade.

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