VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Volusia County is asking residents, business owners and beachgoers to weigh in on how to protect the coastline from future storm damage and erosion during a series of public meetings this week to discuss long-term coastal strategies.
The meetings are part of a state-funded coastal feasibility study that will help determine what type of beach protection methods the county could adopt, ranging from engineered structures such as seawalls, groins and offshore breakwaters to nature-based approaches including dune reinforcement, artificial reefs and large-scale beach nourishment.
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The first meeting was held Tuesday in New Smyrna Beach. The second is scheduled for Wednesday at the Daytona Beach Shores Community Center from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by a third and final session Thursday at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, also from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Jessica Fentress, Volusia County’s coastal director, said the effort is rooted in damage assessments conducted after hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022.
“Following Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022, we lost over 6 million cubic yards of our beach sand,” Fentress said. “It was the largest dune erosion event we’ve had in our history. As a result, the Department of Environmental Protection provided Volusia County with a significant grant to recover, and part of that grant funds the county’s work to create a long-term management plan.”
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Fentress said community participation is critical because each coastal community faces different risks and may require different solutions.
“What works for Daytona may not work for Ponce Inlet,” she said. “We need our community to tell us what they want, because we want a plan that reflects their vision, not one that’s handed down to them.”
The study is funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. County officials expect to compile public feedback and present recommendations sometime next year.
Residents who cannot attend the meetings in person can view presentations and submit comments online at Volusia.org.