St. Lucie County Sand Bypass Trap Project

St. Lucie County's Coastal Engineer received state and federal approval to create a sand bypass trap in the spring of 2021. This project was to create a sand trap inside the Fort Pierce Inlet, which breaks up the natural flow of sand from North Hutchinson Island to South Hutchinson Island. Over time, as the sand is sucked into the inlet and the trap fills up - it will give the county an affordable, nearby source to re-nourish the beaches. Once work began on the project, many residents were confused by the barge parked inside the inlet for months at a time. So the county's Communications staff created a short video to help educate residents and visitors.