NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — For people who go to Volusia County beaches often, there is something on the beach now that’s sure to grab everyone’s attention.

Dredge pipeline sections have been placed near the shoreline from north of the Ponce De Leon Inlet to Oceanview Avenue.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor, Gator Dredging, brought in the pipeline segments.

The soon-to-be-dredging operation plans to address shoreline damage caused by the hurricanes in 2022.

Volusia County leaders say 900,000 cubic yards of sand will be removed from Ponce Inlet and nearby intracoastal waterway navigation channels.

“We’re excited to get this first step, the pipeline laid, right. We’re looking forward to turning the dredge on in you know, two or three weeks,” said Niles Cyzycki, the activity project manager for Volusia County Coastal Division.

Cyzycki said the goal of the project is to have sand be strategically placed along the beach to repair erosion damage caused by past storms.

“We lost almost 3 million cubic yards of sand that’s part of Ian and Nicole," Cyzycki said. "There’s going to be inconveniences and interruptions. But it’s part of a greater good for the health of our beaches,” 

In addition to this project, the Rattlesnake Island Dredging Project will start later this summer.

The beach will remain open to the public. 

These projects are funded by a Florida Department of Environment Protection Grant.