Restoring the Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach 

The Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach is in Desperate Need of Restoration Before It Is Gone 

From newscasters and bloggers to YouTubers, the concern for restoring the beaches in Cayman has been voiced and heard. The government has laid out plans to invest $21 million over the next two years to restore the southern end of Seven Mile Beach. And that promise cannot come soon enough. 

Why Has the Seven Mile Beach Eroded? 

The reason for the erosion is just what you would imagine. Recent storms have stripped the island of the outer layers of sand, making up a mile or more of the beaches. In front of the Marriott, water is waist-deep where vacationers used to lounge in chairs. But hasn’t the beach always had storms and erosion? So what is the difference now? 

In all honesty, there is no one reason for the devastating erosion we see on Seven Mile Beach. You see, the buildings built directly on the beaches are causing the sand to erode unnaturally. Plus, the activity level on the beach has increased in recent years. With storms and climate change, the beach will be gone if something is not done to restore it. 

Plan for Re-Nourishment of the Cayman Beaches 

The current proposal for the re-nourishment of Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach is beginning to come together. The $21 million dollar project is set to start with a one-million-dollar installment in 2022. Then the remainder of $20 million will be allocated for 2023. 

Approved by the Department of Environment, this project will restore the beaches and the tourism and labor force here as well. About 12,000 cubic yards of sand will be deposited for the immediate. This effort will yield a beach of 50 feet at mid-tide and 15 dry feet at all times of the day. But the long-term plan includes moving the critical infrastructure of the active beaches. 

To see this plan to action, it is suggested that citizens, environmentalists, and vacationers alike join their voices in contacting the Department of Tourism, environmental agencies, and local politicians in continued support of the massive restoration. 

CITED: YouTube, Cayman Compass, Dredgewire.com