Earth Tech Environmental partnered with the City of Sanibel Department of Natural Resources to complete a multi-phase coastal restoration project along Sanibel-Captiva Road near Blind Pass. This dynamic stretch of Sanibel’s shoreline has long been influenced by storms, erosion, tidal movement, and changing conditions surrounding Blind Pass. Historically, the pass has opened and closed over time and has played an important role in the coastal system separating Sanibel and Captiva. The surrounding shoreline continues to be an important area for erosion management, habitat restoration, and protection of infrastructure along Sanibel-Captiva Road.

Earth Tech’s work included three restoration components designed to improve approximately 15,000 square feet of coastal habitat adjacent to the roadway, seawall, and shoreline. Within approximately 4,300 square feet of degraded habitat, crews removed dead woody vegetation and horticultural debris before installing green buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) and sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera). A second restoration area encompassing approximately 7,785 square feet was planted with 3,600 native coastal plants, including sea oats (Uniola paniculata), sea purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum), and railroad vine (Ipomoea pes-caprae). The final component addressed approximately 2,595 square feet adjacent to the seawall, where crews installed an additional 1,200 sea oats and bitter panic grass (Panicum amarum). In total, Earth Tech installed approximately 5,000 native plants, helping reestablish native vegetation, stabilize sandy soils, improve vegetative coverage, and strengthen the site’s natural resilience to coastal conditions.

The Blind Pass project was completed during Earth Tech Environmental’s second year of contracted work with the City of Sanibel and provided an opportunity to contribute directly to the restoration of one of Southwest Florida’s distinctive barrier-island environments. The project brought together several of Earth Tech’s core capabilities, including ecological restoration, native plant production and installation, coastal habitat enhancement, vegetation management, and environmental stewardship. We are proud of the work completed at Blind Pass and look forward to continuing our partnership with the City of Sanibel through future coastal restoration, habitat management, and natural-resource projects.