The Boca Del Rio Park is currently in bad shape with the sea level reaching all the way to the basketball court and the beach that everyone loved is practically gone. But there is hope for the park which is a popular place where families gather on Sundays for a refreshing swim or a relaxing afternoon. The San Pedro Town Council has embarked on a beach restoration project at the park.


Councilor Severo Guerrero informed Ambergris Today that the beach restoration project has commenced and that dredging will take place in the ‘river’ canal so that boats have easier access to and fro the area. There are also plans for some dredging on the beachfront so that a swimming area is made for residents to enjoy in a safer area and diverting them from swimming in the dangerous canal where vessels frequent.

The Town Council has recruited the use of six Geo Tubes that will be used to restore the sandy beach area. Geo tubes are the most cost effective and environmentally responsible shore line erosion barrier available. The Geo Tube is constructed of a spun-bond polyester fabric sewn together to form a custom diameter tube. The tube is interconnected along the water’s edge, then a small sand pump is used to fill the tube with the same sand and organic material that has been eroding into the sea. The final result is a long lasting fully contained sand filter barrier that will stabilize the bank from erosion and filter rainwater and irrigation run off.

The project should take about two months to complete and there are plans of adding more games in the play area and palapas for everyone to enjoy. The cost of each Geo Tube project is approximately $18,000 and filling and dredging about $50,000, a price the Town council is willing to pay for the beautification of our lovely island.

Ambergris Today

Excellent! I love this park.

I don't fully follow the Geo Tube's effect.

Are they just basically a sea wall of sand?

Do they get buried completely with sand or will some of the material periodically show through?

How resistant to puncture and tearing are they?

How can purchase and filling of a "giant sand bag" cost $18,000? Seems that cost should be much lower??????????

I've seen similar efforts where the material showed through, tore, shreaded and looked a mess.

Try google

I've read on them already.

I was hoping someone had first hand experience with them.

There is a geotube at the Lion's Park, south of town and one in front of Casa Manana.

Another consideration for your land might be the low sea wall such as the one installed at Caribe Island Resort and Sunset Beach - they are very effective and eventually you don't see them as the beach builds up.

So did those south end Geo tubes get completely buried or does some material show through? Low tide?

Buried.

Couldn't a similar result be obtained by dropping a dense line of sandbags with cement in them?

Nope. With serious sea action the sand bags will be moved significantly - the geo tube might move but it won't go far.