Pricey Artificial Reef Could Stop Beach Erosion

Beach erosion could be fixed for good in Volusia County. The Beach Advisory Committee is laying out plans Tuesday night to put an artificial reef off the coast of Daytona Beach.

The reef would cost millions of dollars a mile, but supporters say it would save money in the long-run.

The reef is built out of giant bags. The bags are dropped to the bottom of the ocean and are filled with 10 tons of sand, and can be place in any configuration for maximum effect. It's a reef building process that's only been used in a handful of place around the world.

Dave Lamotte knows the process well. He's the chairman of Volusia County's Beach Advisory Board.

"Out of all the beach renourishment programs I've seen in my many years on this beach, this is one of the few that actually looks like it has a lot of potential," he said.

Lamotte believes the millions it would cost to install the giant reef system up and down Daytona and New Smyrna shores would be quickly made up. A mile costs $5 million, but compare that to the $15 million New Smyrna spent in 2006 restoring beaches. Then Tropical Storm Fay took it all back into the Atlantic.

"There's a lot of benefits to this if and when all the variables get worked out, and I think they can. It's just going to take time. Like any government process, it's going to take time," Lamotte said.

Volusia County officials say one of the other benefits is that the reef would make for better surfing and, in a few years, attract sea life for snorkelers who might otherwise just look out from Daytona Beach.

The reef could still be a few years away from being dropped in the ocean, mostly because of environmental and engineering concerns, but proponents want to hurry the process along before another storm does millions in erosion damage.