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Beach tilling project on Captiva Island scheduled to begin Jan. 9

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The Captiva Erosion Prevention District will till the sand placed in the 2013/14 renourishment project starting in January 2017. The staging area for the contractor is the Alison Hagerup parking lot. The work is being performed by Perry’s Beach Service of Fort Myers.

Tilling is scheduled to begin the morning of Monday, Jan. 9, and proceed north to Redfish Pass. After completing this segment, work will continue south of Hagerup Beach to Blind Pass. All work is estimated to be completed by the end of the day, Friday, Jan. 13, weather permitting. All operations will occur during daylight hours.

Tilling is permit-required to lessen the impact of compacted sand on sea turtle nesting and hatching activities. The turtles prefer soft sand for digging their nests and laying their eggs. The work is scheduled so that it will not interfere with piping plover nesting, which begins Feb. 1, and sea turtle nesting, which begins May 1.

Residents, beachgoers, and businesses are required to remove all obstructions, including umbrellas, chairs, and canopies, between the dunes and high tide lines, that might interfere with the work. Beachgoers are asked to avoid the area where tilling is being done until the tractor is a safe distance away and to heed all signs and instructions from tilling personnel.

Questions should be directed to CEPD by calling 239-472-2472, or by emailing us at kathleen@mycepd.com.