Orchard Beach To Expand; Help for the South Groin

Between October and next summer, 250,000 cubic yards of sand – about 15,000 dump truck loads worth – will be added to Orchard Beach to expand its total area and help protect the beach’s eroding “south groin,” according to a press release sent out today by the Army Corps of Engineers.<br /><br />The Army Corps say they are partnering with the city’s Parks Department, 50-50, on a $10.6 million contract they recently awarded to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company of Oak Brook, Illinois. <br /><br />”The work will help combat erosion at Orchard Beach by replacing lost sand and repairing the south groin to inhibit future erosion,” the release says. “It will also make the beach safer by relieving overcrowding and eliminating dangerous drop-off zones.”<br /><br />More than 1.4 million people visited <a href=”https://gis.nyc.gov/parks/lc/NYCParkMapIt.do;jsessionid=B00E8CC9748893C0E8A91C858465FC04”>the man-made Orchard Beach</a>, a.ka. the “Riviera of the Bronx,” this past summer, the release says.<br /><br />Although we’ve never heard of a non-human element at a beach referred to as a “groin,” this appears to be great news for the Bronx and badly needed for Orchard Beach. <br /><br />Parks Commish Adrian Benepe: “This WPA-era, man-made beach was last nourished with sand in 1964. Over time, the beach has lost sand naturally due to tides, winds, waves and storms. We hope to add as 250,000 cubic yards of sand – or the equivalent of 15,00 dump truck loads that will be barged to the site – to restore this popular crescent shaped beach for millions of visitors to enjoy beginning next season.”