Coastal Forum: Haulover sandbar dredging controversy

Stephen P. Leatherman, Stephen B. Leatherman, and Mystic Duke, 2022. “Haulover sandbar dredging controversy”, Shore & Beach, 90(3), 44-49.

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https://doi.org/10.34237/1009035

Coastal Forum: Haulover sandbar dredging controversy
Stephen P. Leatherman, Stephen B. Leatherman, and Mystic Duke
Department of Earth & Environment
Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199

Bakers Haulover Inlet in Miami-Dade County, Florida, is an important waterway for recreational boaters connecting Biscayne Bay to the Atlantic Ocean. The dredging of the Haulover sandbar (properly termed the flood tidal delta) by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is very controversial because it has become a major attraction for boaters. This narrow inlet was artificially created for non-commercial watercraft in 1925 to provide access to the Atlantic Ocean, but it also helps promote flushing of Biscayne Bay, which is presently having pollutant problems. Maintenance dredging has occurred every three to five years since the 1960s, with the last project completed in 2017. The Corps of Engineers is providing 100% funding of the forthcoming dredging project in order to provide maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and beach nourishment for the downdrift beach of Bal Harbour. Haulover sandbar parties are advertised by Trip Advisor among others as a Miami hot spot for outdoor recreation, drawing hundreds of boats and thousands of people during low tide, especially during the weekend.