Baker’s Haulover Inlet is a man-made inlet, excavated in 1925 to connect Biscayne Bay with the Atlantic Ocean. As a result of creating a man-made inlet, the sand that would have normally replenished the beaches to the south now flows into the inlet instead. This flow from the Atlantic Ocean creates a sandbar in the middle of the intracoastal forming one of Miami’s gems that locals and tourists enjoy together known as the Haulover Sandbar. (https://g.page/hauloversandbar)
Unfortunately, on January 21, 2021, Miami-Dade County commissioners voted to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take sand from Haulover Sandbar and use it for beach erosion control and hurricane protection in nearby Bal Harbour Beach. The Bal Harbour Beach Renourishment project includes adding more than 200,000 cubic yards of sand along the shoreline of Bal Harbour. Approximately 100,000 cubic yards of sand will come from the Haulover Sandbar by dredging and deepening the area by about three to six feet, effectively wiping out the sandbar. According to the experts the coastal beach sand will continue to wash in and reaccumulate in about five years.
The U.S. Army Corps advised the County that if the use of the sand is not authorized it could result in an estimated $20 to $30 million in funding for the Bal Harbour Beach Renourishment project being assigned to other projects instead. This pressure most likely resulted in Miami-Dade County approving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to dredge the Haulover Sandbar and begin the project by Summer 2021.
The Haulover Sandbar is one of our favorite and most asked about tours because it is no secret that Haulover Sandbar is the place to be on a beautiful day in Miami. Here you can take a dip, refresh in the water, and walk around the sandbar with your friends and family. Haulover Sandbar will eventually return, bringing back many more great memories for families and friends to enjoy together in a place uniquely its own. Here at Tony’s Tours, we would like to spread the message with our community to help save the sandbar! #SaveTheSandbar
Sources
Miami Dade County Haulover Sandbar Memorandum – http://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/legistarfiles/Matters/Y2021/210010.pdf