The only available strategy to fend off beach and dune erosion available to Orchid is currently sand placement. Indian River County has responsibility to manage the critically eroded beach in which Orchid is located – Sector 3.
Every 5 years, the County’s Coastal Division updates its Beach Preservation Plan and guided by its provisions endeavors to engage in major renourishments of this Sector on a 5 to 7 year cycle.
This is dependent on funding and permitting. This frequency has proven challenging to meet, and the Town Council of Orchid has determined it necessary to “step up” on behalf of its residents to aid the County with interim projects, usually conducted on an emergency basis.
Collaboration in this manner with the County has been fruitful, particularly regarding access to the beach in Orchid through the County’s Golden Sands Beach Park. The Town Council also enjoys participation on the County’s Beach and Shores Preservation Advisory Committee.
The Town Council has found that maintaining coastal resilience is at the foundation of this barrier island community’s safety, health and wellbeing, and has acted on that assertion.
In response to dune damage wrought by Hurricanes Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Dorian (2019) and dual storms Ian and Nicole (2022), the Town Council acted swiftly to execute emergency dune repair projects.
Following these storms, the dunes in Orchid were left with a steep escarpment, which, apart from posing a danger to beachgoers’ safety, is a state of fragility that can lead to rapid further erosion and deterioration.
These projects were designed to hold the line of the primary frontal dune, recognizable by the well-established dune vegetation, by (partially) replacing lost material and adding a protective slope using beach compatible sand trucked from an upload sand source.
In October 2024, Hurricane Milton had a damaging impact on the dunes in Orchid, but also on the beach berm, leaving it too narrow for trucks to traverse on the beach and risking immediate sand loss with waves routinely reaching the dune escarpment.
The Town Council voted to hold off on repair until the next construction cycle to allow the berm time to naturally accrete over the summer months.
Beach and dune work is not usually permitted during sea turtle nesting season, which means projects may only take place between November 1 and February 28. So, just as many area residents start planning for an out-of-state summer, the sea turtles are coming back.
The Town Council understands that it would otherwise be preferable to target a time period when the community is less populated. Luckily no further hurricanes affected the beach during the 2025 Hurricane Season. In January-February of 2026, the dune was successfully repaired again.
These project are purposely scheduled late in the permitted timeframe, so that the dunes are at their most robust as close to the start of hurricane season as possible.
An added benefit is that this period follows the holiday season and doesn’t interfere with festivities. January is historically a turbulent time at the beach, when King Tides and Nor’easters can be almost as troublesome to the dunes as hurricanes.
That’s another reason for scheduling as late in January as possible, while allowing enough of a construction buffer for unexpected delays. The beach in Orchid is an active environment and adverse coastal conditions can slow a project down. The work also requires heavy equipment, which can be affected by heavy exposure to sea, sand, and water.
Recent Dune Repairs and Beach Renourishment Projects on Orchid’s Beach:
- 2026 – Town of Orchid – Hurricane Milton Emergency Repair – 12,048 cubic yards
- 2024 – Indian River County – Sector 3 Dune Repair – 274,368 cubic yards
- 2023 – Town of Orchid – Hurricanes Ian & Nicole Emergency Repair – 15,084 cubic yards
- 2021 – Indian River County – Sector 3 Major Renourishment – 522,186 cubic yards
- 2020 – Town of Orchid – Hurricane Dorian Emergency Repair – 15,420 cubic yards
- 2018 – Town of Orchid – Hurricane Irma Emergency Repair – 8,644 cubic yards
- 2017 – Town of Orchid – Hurricane Matthew Emergency Repair – 14,526 cubic yards
- 2013 – Town of Orchid & Local Partners – Hurricane Sandy Emergency Repair – 12,720 cubic yards