South End residents aim to be good environmental stewards. Many have been fighting for years to improve their shorelines. They have seen beach and dune restoration, and are awaiting federal study results this year for work in Reach 8.
Now, two new projects will help clean the water on the ocean side and on the lake side.
One is called BlueTubes. It's an initiative some South End condominiums have adopted to encourage beachgoers to dispose of waste on the sand. BlueTubes are containers that hold clean donated bags that are usually installed at beach-access paths. Open a bag up, fill it up, and dispose of the unwanted items in a nearby garbage container or at home.
Kudos to the Citizens’ Association of Palm Beach for spreading the word about BlueTubes and recruiting condos to install them. Hopefully, the project will be a success and spread to the Midtown area.
On the Intracoastal side, marine ecology will gain a helping hand with Bonefish Cove. Palm Beach County is working on the shorelines project to create three mangrove islands and oyster reefs in the Lake Worth Lagoon between the Lake Worth Bridge and Hypoluxo Island.
Dead bottom-of-the-lake muck will give way to oysters, sea grasses and mangroves that will naturally filter the water as the living shoreline matures, opening a habitat to fish, birds and manatees.
Citizens’ Association President Lew Crampton pointed out its future benefits, including offsetting pollution from the C-51 canal, which flows into the lagoon between West Palm Beach and Lake Worth. A similar project two years ago near the Par 3 Golf Course called Grassy Flats earned kudos from Palm Beach residents.
With government and volunteers already making a difference, the final step is for individuals to do their part. Keep abreast of coastal developments from the town and become environmental advocates by removing beach debris in your pathway.
Your contribution will make this the age of enlightenment for beach protection.
