Local News
Last Mounds of Fresh Sand Added to Galveston’s Seawall Marks Completed Project
The project that brought one million cubic yards of sand to an eroded beach on the Galveston seawall near 61st Street was completed this week, well before its May deadline. According to Chron.com, the effort used $19.5 million to transport sand from seven miles away in the Houston Ship Channel.
In a video from VisitGalvestonIsland, Kelly de Schaun, the executive director of the Park Board of Galveston, stated that the funding came from the federal and state government as well as the City of Galveston which contributed $1.2 million.
These repairs aren’t unusual. Three re-nourishment projects have been needed since 1995. The last took place in 2009 due to Hurricane Ike’s destruction in 2008.
Those who frequent the sea wall will notice that the length of the beach from the wall to the water appears as if it’s doubled, but through the natural erosion process of the waves, the beach’s size will decrease to around 150 feet in a couple of weeks and appear more “normal.” De Schaun told Chron.com, “The new beach would help act as a barrier from storm surges and boost the Galveston economy by keeping the beach a prime tourist attraction.”
