The Town of Jupiter Island

Beach Protection District

The Town of Jupiter Island Beach Protection District was established in 1982 as a separate taxing unit to administer and provide financial support for the Town’s beach renourishment and restoration activities as well as to oversee the Town’s dunes and beaches and assist in the control of beach erosion. The Beach Protection District is governed by a five member Board consisting of the five members of the Town Commission.

The Town has for several decades had a policy and practice of maintaining its beaches to provide opportunities for recreation, protection of property, and the preservation of sea turtle nesting habitat. This work is accomplished through the Town’s Beach Protection District (BPD), which is funded by an ad valorem tax on the Town’s property owners. The major use of these funds is for a beach renourishment program which calls for major projects at regular intervals of three to seven years, depending on the need.

The frequency of these projects is greatly influenced by the weather and the ocean’s current. Major storms and hurricanes, plus high wave action from the east or northeast, can dramatically reduce the width and change the contour of the beach. Likewise, favorable currents and gentle breezes from the southeast can result in accretion that helps to rebuild the beach.

The dredge pumps sand through a pipe and onto the eroded beach.

The pipe pumps sand mixed with water onto the beach... bulldozers groom the new sand on the beach.

The finished product of a beach renourishment... A wide, beautiful beach!

Beach renourishment projects cannot be conducted during the turtle nesting season which means they can only be undertaken by permit between November 1 and May 1. Minor repairs to the beach can be accomplished by beach scraping, which also requires a permit.

The BPD, which is led by the Town’s Commissioners, relies heavily on a beach consulting firm, Gahagan and Bryant Associates, for advice on beach matters. Clay Bryant has been intimately involved in the Town’s beach program for decades. He oversees all beach projects for the Town, makes presentations at each BPD meeting, and makes himself available to provide any resident with counsel on the particular beach issues near their homes. He can be reached by calling Carol Hazel at Town Hall (772-545-0100).

The BPD meetings take place immediately after each Town Commission meeting and are reported on regularly in Town publications.