Hurricane Ian’s Impact on Sand Dollar Island

On Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 8:22 AM, a neighbor who lives off South Barfield sent me a text, “suddenly the weather looking very bad, water rising two-feet per hour with my dock now under water with winds gusting over 100 mph.”

As Floridians, we are aware of hurricanes and prepare for them during hurricane season from June 1st to November 30th. And it wasn’t until mid-September that the possibility of Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida appeared on the weather radar.

Living on a barrier island like Marco carries with it an increased risk of flooding and storm surges due to tropical depression and hurricanes. And for each event, it also takes its toll on the wildlife population and unique ecosystem.

A case in point is Sand Dollar Island. This is a project that has been approved by City Council to restore Sand Dollar Island back to its pre-2017 condition and to eliminate the over wash that is closing off the flow of water into the Tigertail Lagoon. They call this the “2022 Tigertail Lagoon/Sand Dollar Island Ecosystem Restoration Project.”

This project involves multiple dredging components and according to the contract, it will provide beach sediment to “support restoration along a designated area on the west side of Sand Dollar Island through the placement of sand to improve resiliency and protect the nature of the island.” 

The multiple dredging components per the contract includes the following: 

• Dredging of the Sand Trap at the north end of Sand Dollar Island with beach disposal on Sand Dollar Island.

• Dredging of the Borrow Area Extension to Tigertail Lagoon, with beach disposal on Sand Dollar Island and approximately 3,600 cy on Hideaway Beach.

• Dredging of the North Flow Channel with disposal on to Sand Dollar Island.

• Dredging of the South Flow Channel involving relocation of over washed sediment to be placed as part of the beach side restoration of Sand Dollar Island.

Cost:  $3,306,187.50

Anticipated Start Date:  November 1, 2022, after sea turtle season

Is it even possible to restore Sand Dollar Island to a pre-Irma condition? We’ve learned that various tropical storms have continued to change the landscape of Sand Dollar Island since Irma and now Hurricane Ian – that Mother Nature has seniority. 

According to Brittany Piersma, field biologist of the Audubon of the Western Everglades (AWE) "Removing 6.4 acres of one of the most important shorebird colonial nesting areas in Collier County will significantly affect threatened Black Skimmers, threatened Least Terns, and Wilson's Plovers.  Dredging mudflats will also negatively impact migratory birds that rely on this location to restore and refuel.

Just this weekend, Brittany Piersma, shorebird biologist of the Audubon of the Western Everglades visited Sand Dollar Island after Hurricane Ian and this is her report:

“The Tigertail Lagoon experienced a massive change due to high winds and erosion from Hurricane Ian. There is still a cut present flowing from the gulf to Tigertail Beach. In between the cut and the beginning of Hideaway is a stretch of sand eroded up to the mangroves. North of that is an entirely separate lagoon from Hideaway to the north tip of Sand Dollar. Over time without any human involvement, Sand Dollar could turn into an island again.”

Piersma also shared her observation of the mudflats. “There are still beautiful mudflats and seagrass beds being used by hundreds of organisms. While we surveyed post-Ian, dozens of wading birds and shorebirds were refueling from the stress of the storm.”

“We also spotted the Brown Booby that was seen by Marilyn Naiman the day after the hurricane,” Piersma said. “This bird most likely got blown north out of its normal range during the storm. We are keeping an eye on it to make sure it does not need treatment.”

Each visit to Sand Dollar Island is a unique experience – it is a special place for both humans and wildlife.