Since its introduction in the early 1980's Beach nourishment has become a controversial issue involving a large percent of the coastal community. Beach nourishment involves the dredging of sediment on the ocean floor and using it to extend the beach's shoreline further outward into the ocean. This extension of the beach is supposed to correct for the natural reshaping and movement of the coastline, which occurs during erosion. The major issue which plagues this controversy is determining whether the economic gains of beach use out weight the benefits of preserving the coast's natural state and protecting its inhabitants. The two feuding points of view both provide legitimate reasons for their stance on the issue. While the south Florida tourist population has decreased in the past few years, a recent resurgence has been apparent; whether or not that had anything to do with the distance that the beach extends out may never be determined and is highly unlikely that it did.
The short-term benefits provided by the resulting extended shoreline are few and limited, while the long-term benefits are nonexistent. Long term damage, on the other hand, affects both the coral reef's lifespan and the local community's budget. Costing nearly $100,000,000 a year nation wide, the wasted budget of these projects could be used in more effective, productive, and beneficial programs. Due to the frequent thunderstorms and hurricanes south Florida experiences in a given year, the lifetime of the beach fills are often less than five months. A rapid succession of severe storms and tidal surges can completely eliminate the newly made shoreline in a matter of weeks. The continuous need for replenishment makes these fills a never-ending deficit which does not truly solve the problem, but rather produces a handful of other budget and ecological problems. These repeated efforts to save the eroding beaches by continuously replacing them with more sand does not provide a permanent solution to an ever-increasing problem, which could lead to even greater disaster.
