2021 FSBPA Annual Conference

Field Trip

 

Limited Space Available, Reservations Required

 

Thursday, September 16, 1:45 pm


To reserve your spot, email mail@fsbpa.com

Palm Beach County invites conference attendees on a Thursday-afternoon field trip to the South Lake Worth Inlet Sand Transfer Plant, located approximately 6 miles north of the Opal Grand Resort.  This unique opportunity will include a tour and demonstration of the Plant’s typical operations.  Attendees will need to arrange their own transportation and parking is available at the County’s Ocean Inlet Park on the west side of A1A adjacent to the inlet. 


Construction of the South Lake Worth Inlet (aka Boynton Inlet) began in 1925 and was completed in 1927 to alleviate worsening water quality conditions in Lake Worth as development in the region rapidly increased.  This area of Florida’s coast is subject to significant natural southerly transport of sand, making maintenance of inlets difficult for coastal managers.  The original fixed sand transfer plant was constructed in 1937 to cope with significant shoaling inside of southern Lake Worth Lagoon; it was the first such plant in the world and has undergone a number of design iterations to improve efficiency over the past 84 years.  The current Sand Transfer Plant was constructed in 2009 at a location 118 feet seaward of the original plant.  At an average bypassing cost of approximately $5 per cubic yard over the past 20 years (relative to ~$23/cy for maintenance dredging of the interior sand trap), the Plant is a critical component in the County’s strategy of consistently and efficiently maintaining this stable inlet over the long term.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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