PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla., (May 3, 2006) -- This summer, travelers will spend carefree days on the expansive shores of Panama City Beach, Fla. But in a destination that boasts the world's whitest beaches, sand is a serious business. Last month, this town on Florida's Emerald Coast completed a massive beach renourishment project. The $23.5 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project widened and elevated the beach. Specifically, the yearlong beach renourishment extended a 16.6-mile stretch of the Panama City Beach coastline by 30 feet on average and restored the elevation to its post-1999 beach nourishment level.

"Our initial beach nourishment project was completed in 1999," said Lisa Armbruster, beach management coordinator for the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Beach restoration provided critical protection to coastal roads and buildings during Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and several storms the following year. The current project restores that protection."

New Heights

Panama City Beach has the longest continuous beach restoration project in Florida. During the past year alone, the project placed 3.3 million cubic yards of sand along the shoreline. Sand was dredged from offshore "borrow areas" lying at depths of up to 50 feet beneath the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Many areas were considered from which to borrow, but only certain sand would do.

"You can't put just any kind of sand on the world's whitest beaches," says Armbruster, a sand expert who holds a master's degree in coastal engineering from the University of Florida. "We took frequent samples and dried the sand in an oven to make sure it met or exceeded the color specification designated for the project."

Throughout the 2005 - 06 renourishment, the US Army Corps of Engineers used beach inspectors to make sure appropriate sand was placed on the beach. The inspectors tested samples on an hourly basis for color against the Munsell Soil Color Chart, a color chart used for classifying soil or sand color. Their mission: to ensure the color met or exceeded the color specification for the project.

"Grain size is also critical in beach restoration," Armbruster explains. "Finer grains of sand tend to erode from the dry beach faster. As a whole, the sand grains provide vital storm protection."

Buried Treasure

After digging up sand from deep beneath Gulf waters, a hopper dredge deposited it by short pipeline onto the beaches as a slurry of sand and water. There, heavy machinery smoothed the sand. Dredges worked all year long, day and night, seven days per week, before the renourishment project was done.

Now the dredges and pipeline are gone, but the grooming continues. In the early morning, surf rakes drive up and down the beach, sifting out small shells, stones and debris to maintain the beach's silky quality.

"During the past year, we spent $500,000 on grooming and maintenance," says Bob Warren of the efforts to maintain the destination known as "The Beach Lovers Beach." As president and CEO of the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, Warren oversees a tourism industry that contributes $1.5 billion annually to the local economy.

"Sand is our #1 resource," he continues. "Today, the sand's whiteness and elevation matches or exceeds levels set in 1999. Visitors this season will enjoy the most spectacular product we've had in years."

About Panama City Beach

The destination's legendary sand comes from quartz crystals that were washed down the Appalachian Mountains centuries ago. The Gulf of Mexico surf ground, smoothed and polished the granules then deposited them on the shoreline. There, the sand was bleached gleaming white under the bright Florida sunshine.

Today, Panama City Beach boasts 27 miles of silky, white-sand beaches bordering the clear, emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay. The Northwest Florida destination was cited as one of America's Most Beautiful Beaches by Conde Nast Traveler, 2006. Additional recognition as a top beach destination comes from The Travel Channel, USA Today, Southern Living, Dr. Beach and the Clean Beaches Council. Family attractions, championship golf courses, sporting events, delectable dining, predictably sunny weather and a vast number of recreational activities draw visitors to this seaside destination annually. For more information, call 1-800-PCBEACH (850-233-5070) or visit www.visitpanamacitybeach.com.