To help coastal communities address sand loss, Dune Doctors works with regulatory agencies to install wildlife-friendly sand fences that are optimized to capture wind-blown and wave-pushed sand. We strategically install sand fences to build up sand in the most optimal location to defend the property from storm surge.

Moving sand collides with the fences and the particles drop, temporarily accumulating around the base of the fences. While effective in capturing sand, the fences alone cannot hold the sand in place. Therefore, to successfully stabilize the shifting sand, native dune-stabilizing vegetation must be planted between the fences.

To protect beachgoers and coastal wildlife, Dune Doctors works with local, regional, state and federal authorities to meet all regulations regarding the installation and maintenance of sand fences. Dune Doctors will file all permitting requests on your behalf and handle all communication with the regulatory agencies.

Sand fences fulfill one critical component of achieving coastal resiliency: adding a new barrier (berm) seaward of your existing dune. However, installing sand fences without also addressing erosion issues and failure points throughout the existing dune will undermine the development of the new barrier. 

First, our team will first conduct a Site Visit to establish the most strategic location for your sand fence installation. Then our team will install the sand fences across the width of your property to encourage the even accumulation of sand in the shape of a continuous, protective berm that is even in height and distribution. In addition to the fences, our Coastal Restoration Experts will install native coastal vegetation to retain the captured sand.