Shore stabilization project protects Fort Pulaski’s heritage

SAVANNAH, GA, UNITED STATES

10.30.2015

Story by Jeremy Buddemeier  

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Officials at Fort Pulaski National Monument have gained precious ground thanks to a multiagency project that wrapped up this week.

The monthlong shore stabilization project used dredged material from the Savannah Harbor Navigation Project to restore a 1.5-mile section of beach along Cockspur Island’s north shore.

Erosion over the past decade was threatening the park’s historic North Wharf and dike system, which date back to the fort’s construction in the early 1800s.

According to Ronnie Westbury, a construction control inspector with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, workers placed more than 200,000 cubic yards of dredged material along the island’s north shore.

For a frame of reference, 200,000 cubic yards would cover 40 football fields with 3 feet of sand.

The magnitude of the completed project impressed Candice Wyatt, a biological science technician and the project lead for Fort Pulaski National Monument.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” Wyatt said. “We’ve gained our beach back.”

The National Park Service worked in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to complete the project.

• Date Taken: 10.30.2015
• Date Posted: 10.30.2015 15:06
• Story ID: 180444
• Location: SAVANNAH, GA, US