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Glynn County plans East Beach slough fill and boardwalk to improve access and safety, officials say
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Summary
County officials said they are working with DNR and the Army Corps on a plan to scrape and fill sloughs near Massengale and to build a boardwalk near Coast Guard Beach; they cited safety, access and a $1 million state appropriation to DNR for the effort.
Glynn County officials said they plan to fill large sloughs — often described in the broadcast as tidal pools — on East Beach near Massengale and to build a boardwalk closer to Coast Guard Beach to improve public access and address safety concerns.
Officials described the two-part approach on the Good News Glenn podcast. The county said it has worked with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and obtained permitting discussions with the Army Corps of Engineers for the project. County representatives said state legislators helped secure approximately $1 million that went into DNR's budget to support the work.
The county described the sloughs as sometimes several feet deep (officials said depths “3, 4, or 5 feet” can occur in parts) and said they impede beach access and vehicle movement for first responders. The planned remedy near Massengale would scrape sand from the existing beach and backfill the area; officials said they might augment the fill with imported sand if needed. For the area nearer Coast Guard Beach, the county plans to build a boardwalk from the Myrtle Street beach access to allow pedestrian crossing without disturbing wetland habitat.
The county said the plan is being coordinated with environmental groups and with DNR and the Army Corps. Officials said the work could require additional sand imports and that permitting is still underway. They gave a prospective construction window of spring to late spring or early summer for visible work to occur, pending permit approvals and contractor scheduling.
Bill Fallon, identified on the podcast as a Glynn County official, said state lawmakers including Senator Hodges and Representative Townsend helped secure the state appropriation for DNR. “We actually got a million dollars from the state that went into DNR's budget for this year to make that happen,” Fallon said on the show.
Officials emphasized that the primary justification is public safety and access rather than aesthetics: they described the sloughs as a hazard to beachgoers and an impediment to first-responder vehicles.
No permits, contractor awards or final construction schedules were announced on the podcast; officials said permitting and environmental review remain in process.
