STUART — A dune restoration project at Bathtub Reef Beach is set to start within three weeks and the nationally renowned tourist attraction could reopen by March, Martin County officials said Tuesday.

Sand would be dredged from the St. Lucie Inlet and pumped across Hutchinson Island to Bathtub Reef Beach to replace the dune that the high tides of fall washed away, said County Engineer Don Donaldson.

Martin County expects to receive final authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to start the dune restoration project in two to three weeks, Donaldson said. The project is expected to take two weeks.
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One of Martin County’s most beloved beaches may be closed indefinitely.

Bathtub Reef Beach, known for its worm-rock reef and calm waters, has been closed off and on since storms left it battered and severely eroded more than two years ago.

The parking lot is full of sand. Bathrooms are closed. Litter is common, and the reef has been damaged by graffiti and illicit beachgoers trampling on its delicate structure.

County officials, who closed the beach until further notice in October, are short on cash and solutions to shore up one of their most recognizable natural landmarks. They say it may never look like it once did. (more…)

MARTIN COUNTY — Joan Bausch stood in the pavilion on Bathtub Reef Beach this week and discussed the future of the eroded beach. The Sewall’s Point resident values the natural beauty of the mangroves and the worm rock reef, and she wants to protect the popular beach from harm.

“My preference would be to let this beach heal and to not allow too many people,” Bausch said Monday. (more…)

STUART — Martin County officials announced Tuesday morning that effective immediately, Bathtub Reef Beach, located at 1585 SE MacArthur Blvd. in Stuart, will close until further notice.

“The beach will be closed to all visitors due to unsafe conditions,” according to a county news release.
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