Drew Dixon
A new analysis published by Warwick Group Consultants shows Florida uses more federal money than any other state on beach renourishment and replenishing projects.
The Washington, D.C.-based firm, which specializes in beach replenishing projects, compiled federal funding figures on those projects between 2000 and 2025.
The federal government spent $773.49 million in Florida during that time frame. New Jersey was the only state that was even close to Florida, using about $733.73 million.
Other states with coastal areas used significantly less federal dollars on beach renourishment. Illinois, with its shores on the Great Lakes, used about $150 million, with New York and Virginia just behind.
Howard Marlowe, President of Warrick Group, said his company contracts with local coastal governments that often get federal funding for beach replenishing projects. The business has handled about a dozen of those projects in Florida.
Marlowe said it’s not surprising the Sunshine State outpaced all other states.
“First of all, Florida has the largest coast of all those states mentioned there,” Marlowe said. “That’s a lot of beaches and a lot of erosion because of hurricanes.”
Florida engages in massive beach renourishment projects, as the beach is an economic engine for the tourist-rich state. This year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation (SB 1622) that repeals limits on beach access.
Gov. Rick Scott signed the previous legislation limiting public access and barring local governments from passing ordinances regarding customary use.
“By repealing the law, we return the authority back to local communities,” DeSantis said.
Meanwhile, there have been several massively expensive projects that have cost hundreds of millions of dollars combined to restore some shorelines. In March, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, approved a $20 million contract for the work of beach restoration in Nassau County.
That came on the heels of $32.4 million in federal, state and local funds on a beach replenishing project that ran along Duval County’s Atlantic Ocean beachfront and another $70 million project on beach renourishment in St. Johns County in the past year, which used federal dollars in addition to state and local money.
Not everyone is a fan of those beach restoration projects.
“Stop the Beach Renourishment,” an environmentalist organization, has filed several legal challenges to Florida’s projects on the coast. At the same time, many critics say the money thrown at beach renourishment projects is akin to throwing money in the ocean because beaches are made of sand that will eventually erode back into the water.
But Marlowe said that’s short-sighted, especially in Florida, where the beach is often the defining feature to drawing visitors.
“It brings in hundreds of billions of dollars into the local, state and federal treasuries” through sales and property taxes, Marlowe said. “People who live along the coast deserve protection. Not only those who live along the coast but those who vacation along the coast. … The best means of protection is to put sand along the coast.”
One comment
steve-o
August 25, 2025 at 2:19 pm
So Florida spends $573,000 per mile of coastline and New Jersey spends $5,638,000 per mile of coastline??? It seems like the tax payers are being fleeced once again in a blue run state. I’m not sure what Florida is spending so much money on but 10x that for New Jersey???