Florida towns facing loss of sand for beaches

New York Times : Miami-Dade County, Florida, is officially out of offshore sand. Neighboring Broward and Palm Beach Counties have almost reached the same point. The inability to replenish their beaches not only could harm the local tourism economies but also will leave the shoreline unprotected during major storms. The situation has arisen because of a number of factors, including decades of dredging offshore sand, rising sea levels, an increase in the number of jetties that disrupt normal sand redistribution, the presence of nearby reefs that reduce the area available for dredging, and a relatively narrow continental shelf. The counties have asked their neighbors for help, but have failed to find a sympathetic ear from jurisdictions who are worried about their own futures. Offshore sand is preferred for beach replenishment because it is affordable and better for the environment. Broward is already getting sand from inland mines, but it is expensive and logistically difficult to obtain. So too would be sand purchased from other countries, such as in the Caribbean. Broward County has even considered a plan to grind up glass as a sand substitute because of its similar properties.