Tybee Island seeks alternative funding for beach nourishment after federal budget setback

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) -Tybee Island is pursuing multiple funding paths for beach nourishment after the Army Corps of Engineers’ $12 million portion of the project was not included in the fiscal year 2026 budget.

City Manager Bret Bell said the city has been working with the Army Corps for six years on a planned beach nourishment for this winter. They were ready to proceed before the funding was excluded from the federal budget about two months ago.

“It’s clear to us that it is very unlikely and potentially not possible to get funding in time for a nourishment this winter,” Bell said. “So, we’re now sort of pivoting to include it in the FY27 budget.”

The city is working simultaneously with state and federal partners to secure funding. Bell said officials are talking with the state about potential funding sources, including a loan program.

On the federal level, the city is participating in a campaign called “Yes to Beaches”. All coastal beach communities are participating in the effort, asking Congress to fund the federal beach nourishment program through the Corps for about $200 million a year. That would cover almost all of the nourishment needs that occur every year, Bell said.

The city is also working with Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office. Ossoff has submitted a congressionally directed spending request that would direct the $12 million to the project. The funding would be earmarked specifically for Tybee’s nourishment project and could not be reallocated anywhere else, Bell said.

“We’re not competing against other beach communities for the same small pot of money, which is what we were doing last year,” Bell said.

The city has been partnering with the federal government on beach nourishment since 1974 under a 50-year authorization. This marks the first time funding has not been secured during that partnership.

“For the past 50 years, Congress did properly fund the beach nourishment program,” Bell said. “That’s really what has been happening for the past 50 years and what we had expected to continue.”

Bell said the Army Corps remains a great partner and officials work closely with the Savannah office. The issue is funding as Congress’s priorities are changing.

Bell said beach nourishment serves three critical purposes for Tybee Island. The beach is the city’s sole economy. It provides the first line of defense against storms and hurricanes. And it is critical habitat for sea turtles.

The city has had 16 sea turtle nests this year. The majority of those nests had to be relocated because they were in eroded areas that would be covered by high tides, which has not happened in the past, Bell said.

“We feel like that investment, $12 million, while it’s a lot, it’s small for the federal government,” Bell said. “There’s a huge return on that investment for America.”

Since the last nourishment in 2020, the city has lost 60% of the beach.

The city has posted a link to a petition on social media urging Congress to properly fund beach nourishment programs across the country. Bell said erosion is a natural process, but the regular replenishment process is interrupted on Tybee because of the regular dredging of the Savannah River shipping channel.

“So we need help, right? Because the natural process has been interrupted,” Bell said. “So there’s got to be a man-made nourishment that happens.”

The city removed swings from the beach because of erosion. All activity on the beach is governed by a permit with the state of Georgia, which regulates all activity below the mean high water mark, Bell said.

Structures on the beach, including crossovers and swings, need to be a certain distance from the high tide mark. Because of the state of erosion, most areas of the beach do not meet that threshold, Bell said.

The swings are built and ready to be reinstalled at the foot of each crossover once beach nourishment happens, Bell said.

The 2nd Street and 19th Street crossovers recently reopened. All crossovers are currently open, but people should watch their step because there are sizable drop-offs at several locations, including Chatham Avenue.

“There’s a pretty large step down to the beach,” Bell said. “So we have warning signs, but they are open right now.”

The city checks crossovers every day. If conditions are deemed too dangerous, crossovers will be closed again, Bell said.