Upham Beach
By: Julie Pappas
Blind Pass, named in the late eighteen hundreds, was a natural migrating pass until 1936 when
the first channel dredge and rock jetty project completed. By 1978, three of four condominiums
stood on the northern section of Long Key, literally on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Each
building came with its own seawall to hold the Gulf waters back. Decades later, concerned
residents pushed city, county, state and federal officials to do something about the severe erosion
problem on this section of St. Pete Beach.
As a solution, forty-four geotextile sand bags form pyramids that make up the five t groin jetties
that extend westward from the beach. The “T” crosses at the water line. Construction of the bags
consisted of filling them with sand provided by the federally funded nourishment project (regularly
scheduled every four to five years). Work began immediately after the 2004 re-nourishment on
Upham beach.
Contrary to project promises, the sand eroded away after being completely covered a t the end of
the installation process in 2005 and again in 2006. Today t head groins #1, 2, and 3 stands
visibly and dangerously exposed. Painted in large black lettering the label “Keep off!” rests on the
exposed groins. Yet photographs exist of adults and children standing, playing or wading in the
water all around the yellow mounds.
The installation, maintenance and repairs have cost taxpayers in excess of 1.5 million dollars in
just four years. In a document titled Implementation of Geotextile T-Groin in Pinellas County,
Florida by Nicole A. Elko, Ph.D. and Douglas W. Mann, P.E., published in spring 2007, there is
mention of replacing the temporary groins with permanent structures in the future.
Statewide, taxpayers will continue to pay for this project for years to come.
In spring of 2008, Suncoast Chapter Surfrider Foundation began a petition drive to remove these
t groins. Expect to see petitions among neighborhoods, on the beach, and in your local
businesses since this project affects all taxpayers – including tourists.
Members of this local grassroots organization do enjoy Upham Beach. And some have a long
relationship with this special stretch of the island. The public outcry - they are taxpayers and they
are against paying for this experimental project.