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This serves as notification from the Shore Protection Committee and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources of a request from Glynn County for a Shore Protection Act (SPA) permit under Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) 12-5-230 et seq. for the filling of an area of impounded open water within the State’s SPA jurisdiction near Massengale Park on East Beach, St. Simons Island, Glynn County, Georgia.
SPA Permit #330 was issued February 20, 2003, and authorized the construction and maintenance of a beach nourishment project that included placement of up to 450,000 cubic yards of material dredged from 1.0 – 1.5 miles offshore along 5,600ft. of oceanfront shoreline on St. Simons Island between the U.S. Coast Guard Station and 4th Street. At the time, it was anticipated only a portion of the project would be constructed to include the placement of 320,000 cubic yards of sand along the northern 4,000ft. of the project fill limits between the U.S. Coast Guard Station and Myrtle Street. The project was not constructed.
More recently, the Department of Natural Resources has issued Letters of Permission for temporary access bridges to cross the proposed project area in response to public access concerns. LOP20230048 was issued for the placement of two temporary public access bridges, one floating bridge and one recycled aluminum fire truck ladder bridge, on May 4, 2023. LOP20230052 was issued May 24, 2023, for a third temporary floating bridge. LOP20230102 was issued November 2, 2023, for three floating public access bridges. LOP20240027 was issued April 11, 2024, for three floating public access bridges and a modification of the crosswalk at the Cedar Street Beach Access. LOP20240078 was issued October 9, 2024, for two temporary floating bridges. LOP20250030 was issued April 8, 2025, for two temporary floating bridges.
The project area proposed with this application is approximately 9.74 acres located on a portion of East Beach, from The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort north to the Driftwood Public Beach Access and is entirely within Shore Protection Act jurisdiction. The area within jurisdiction consists of wetlands, open water impoundment area, vegetated dynamic dune field, and open sand beach.
The applicant proposes to remove the floating bridges and dewater the impounded open water or proposed fill area using a submersible dewatering pump, with continued maintenance dewatering as needed throughout construction. Once dewatered, equipment would access the site through the approved DNR vehicle access route at Massengale Park to excavate sand from an area of intertidal and dry sand beach seaward of the sand dunes and the Ordinary High-Water Mark (OHWM) referred to as the “borrow area” in the project application and drawings. The borrow area is located landward of Mean High Water (MHW). The applicant proposes to excavate approximately 8,940 cubic yards of sand from the 1930ft. x 110ft., 212,265sq.ft. (4.87 acre) borrow area utilizing an approach of thin layer excavation of the borrow area at a depth of 11 inches. Excavated sand will be transported and used to fill a 90,049sq.ft. (2.07 acre) portion of the impounded open water and an 83,696sq.ft. (1.91 acre) adjacent upper beach fill area to an elevation of 5-6ft. NAVD88. Upon project completion, the area of fill will be graded to tie into the existing beach grade on the landward side, featuring a 2H:1V landward slope in the areas adjacent to the wetland habitat, and a construction foreshore slope that matches the existing beach grade.
Temporary construction fence will be installed around the perimeter of the borrow area and be positioned on site to protect established sand dunes. Temporary silt fence will be installed seaward of the wetland habitat delineating a 10ft. offset and extend beyond the fill area to prevent fill from spreading into adjacent wetland areas.
All work within jurisdiction will be accomplished with typical earth-moving equipment including up to three (3) bulldozers, a front-end loader, off road trucks or material carriers, excavators and skid-steer. Equipment would be parked and staged overnight in the Massengale Park parking lot, and all fueling and maintenance operations would occur outside of SPA jurisdiction in the Massengale Park parking lot or other upland facility. Construction would occur outside of sea turtle nesting season and will cease each workday when tides and waves encroach on the active work area.
The project also proposes a monitoring and maintenance plan to include: visual and photographic documentation of vegetation, visual inspection of project areas for erosion and sedimentation, and visual observation of stormwater management during and after rain events. The monitoring is proposed to occur quarterly over the first year, semi-annually over year two, and annually over years three, four and five. During monitoring if an area of impounded open water is identified above MHW a follow up monitoring event will be performed no more than sixty (60) days later. If after this time the impounded water remains, a maintenance filling event would be implemented outside of sea turtle nesting season.
In total approximately 8,940 cubic yards of sand will be excavated from the 212,265sq.ft. (4.87 acre) borrow area landward of MHW and seaward of the OHWM and sand dunes and dune vegetation. The excavated sand will be utilized to fill a 90,049sq.ft. (2.07 acre) portion of impounded open water and an 83,696sq.ft. (1.91 acre) adjacent upper beach fill area to an elevation of 5-6ft. NAVD88. No impacts to vegetated wetlands or vegetated sand dunes are proposed. The total project footprint as proposed within the SPA jurisdictional area is 424,285sq.ft. (9.74 acres).
The Coastal Resources Division notes the proposed project area is located within a highly dynamic beach and dune system. Site conditions as described may differ from what is occurring within the project area at any given time.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate that the project is not contrary to the public interest and that no feasible alternative sites exist. In passing upon the application for permit, the permit issuing authority shall consider the public interest which for purposes of this part shall be deemed to be the following considerations: (1) Whether or not unreasonably harmful, increased alteration of the dynamic dune field or submerged lands, or function of the sand-sharing system will be created; (2) Whether or not the granting of a permit and the completion of the applicant's proposal will unreasonably interfere with the conservation of marine life, wildlife, or other resources; and (3) Whether or not the granting of a permit and the completion of the applicant's proposal will unreasonably interfere with reasonable access by and recreational use and enjoyment of public properties impacted by the project.
A detailed public notice with drawings has been distributed and is available by visiting the Department of Natural Resources website: CoastalGaDNR.org under “Public Notices.” Please provide this office with substantive, site-specific comments as to why the proposed work should or should not proceed. Comments and questions concerning this proposed project should be submitted in writing and be submitted by the close of business on October 30, 2025 to Beth Byrnes, Department of Natural Resources, One Conservation Way, Brunswick, Georgia 31520 or via email at crd.comments@dnr.ga.gov.
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