Honor highlights national projects that provide storm protection, habitat restoration, and recreation

Before and after beach restoration photo of Cocoa Beach pier looking north towards Port Canaveral

(Photo: Canaveral Port Authority)

Port Canaveral, FL – May 30, 2025 – The Canaveral Harbor Sand Bypass Project has been named one of the nation’s “Best Restored Beaches” by The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) in their annual awards designed to raise awareness of restored beaches’ significant value to local communities.  The Canaveral Sand Bypass Project combined with the Brevard County North Reach Shore Protection Project are administered and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District in partnership with non-Federal sponsors, the Canaveral Port Authority and Brevard County.

The Canaveral Harbor Sand Bypass Project was one of four national winners of this prestigious honor which acknowledges community beach restoration projects throughout the U.S. that increase a shoreline’s resiliency, the beach’s ability to mitigate storm damage and flooding from severe storms and naturally allow the beach to adjust to short-term sea level rise while remaining an important part of the nearshore ecosystem.  

“We are proud and honored to receive this award which recognizes our longstanding leadership, in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and project partners, to preserve and protect our local shoreline while ensuring safe navigation of our harbor,” said Bob Musser, Port Canaveral’s Senior Director - Environmental. “The federally funded Canaveral Harbor Sand Bypass Project underscores Port Canaveral’s commitment to the environmental needs of our community and support for the economic benefits of our beaches and waterways.”

Post beach restoration photo of Cocoa Beach pier looking north towards Port Canaveral

(Photo: Canaveral Port Authority)

The Canaveral Harbor Sand Bypass Project in Cape Canaveral, Fla., combines navigation interests with shore protection, beach recreation, and environmental interests.  The scale, size, and setting of this sand bypassing project, with over 10 miles of pipeline in the Atlantic Ocean, and 1.5 million cubic yards of sand dredged from the nearshore, made for a complex project.  The Canaveral Sand Bypass project is the effective management of an entire coastal system that supports wildlife, national security, space operations, commerce, tourism, and recreation and demonstrates how multiple entities (public, private, military, etc.) can work together providing innovative solutions. 

Projects are judged on three criteria: the economic and ecological benefits the beach brings to its community; short- and long-term success of the restoration project; and the challenges each community overcame during the project.  

U.S. Representative Mike Haridopolos (FL-8) speaks at a press conference at Jetty Park on March 20, 2025, highlighting the Canaveral Harbor Sand Bypass Project administered and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and sponsored locally by the Canaveral Port Authority and Brevard County

(Photo Credit: Canaveral Port Authority) 

“We have been restoring U.S. beaches for over 100 years.  The first project was in Coney Island, NY in 1923.  Beaches from all over the U.S. have received ASBPA’s Best Restored Beach award in its 23-year history.  This year, we are excited to include beaches from coast to coast,” said Nicole Elko, ASBPA Executive Director. 

According to the ASBPA, beaches are the leading tourist attraction in the U.S. serving as a vacation destination for 50% of Americans.  Annually, beach tourists generate $520 billion in economic output, $240 billion in direct spending, and $36 billion in taxes to federal, state, and local governments.  For every $1 spent on beach nourishment annually, beach tourists generate about $3,000 in economic output, $1,400 in direct spending, and $200 in taxes.  Beaches are not only magnets for tourism, but they also perform a double duty of protecting land infrastructure during storms.             

Project teams will be honored during the ASBPA National Coastal Conference in Long Beach, California on October 7-10, 2025.  A complete list of Best Restored Beach awards, and information on the science and policy of beach restoration are available at https://asbpa.org/about-us/awards-program/.  

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