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Is the sand in Florida imported?

Nearly half of the state's 825 miles of beaches are “critically eroded,” leaving the Floridian coastline and economy in peril. However, rather than focusing on environmental legislation or the protection coastal communities, Florida is tackling the lack of sand another way — importing it from the Bahamas.



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The pure white, snow-like sand along Northwest Florida beaches is purely ground quartz mineral.

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Filling a breakwater with imported sand can stop the breakwater from trapping sand from the littoral stream (the ocean running along the shore.) Otherwise the breakwater may deprive downstream beaches of sand and accelerate erosion there.

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Many of the Florida Keys' beaches are manmade, or are just a layer of sand over a sliver of limestone. The north is almost always cooler than south, something to remember in both summer and winter.

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Over a period of a few days or weeks, the sun will bleach the sand until it's gradually closer to the color people are used to seeing.

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Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia Whitehaven Beach is consistently ranked as the world's best beach, and with good reason: It's almost surreally beautiful. Besides its crystal clear waters, it's known for its white sand, consisting of 98% pure silica which gives it a bright white color.

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The beautiful white sand and crystal clear water clarity are further amplified by the Choctawhatchee Bay, just north of Destin. Sediment run-off into the waters of Destin is minimized due to the Choctawhatchee Bay and its ability to filter everything before it makes it into the Gulf.

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Centuries of wave and water action eventually ground the quartz into smaller and smaller grains, producing the sugar-fine sand Destin residents enjoy today.

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