Flooding and beach erosion are top of mind right now around TBAY, and (because we’re all about the positive around here) we have some good news for you.
This week, the City of St. Pete + Tampa Bay Watch kicked off work on a new living shoreline — otherwise known as a “protected, stabilized coastal edge” — project at Maximo Park. Volunteers and city staff are placing hundreds of oyster reef balls and shell bags along the southern shoreline of Maximo Park, Pinellas Point Drive South, and Sunshine Skyway Lane South, according to a release.
Once finished, the shoreline will span 7,842 sqft and help fortify the area and its coastal habitats against future erosion. The project will also improve the coastline’s biodiversity, and boost water quality. The next phase of the project includes planting native coastal plants for upland restoration, which aims to further defend the beach during storms.
