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Navarre Beach Wins Restoration Award

NAVARRE BEACH - A local beach has been named one of America's best restored beaches.

Business owners say with the oil spill inching closer to Florida's shoreline... The honor couldn't have come at a better time.

Despite the white sand and crystal blue water... The oil spill in the Gulf has created a drop in tourism at Navarre Beach.

Julie Womack, whose family is visiting from Mississippi, says oil won't stop them from taking trips here.

Julie Womack/Visiting Navarre Beach
"We were kind of anticipating what it was going to look like. If it was going to be here or not, you know. We noticed it kind of on the Mobile Bay when we were coming in. You could kind of see it."

Navarre Beach was recently named one of America's best restored beaches. Almost 3-million cubic yards of sand placed here.

"The project was designed to restore a protective buffer along four miles of shoreline that was damaged by past storms.

"Hey! How is everything?"
Darryl Slye works at Sandy Bottoms Specialty Shop.
He says the award sheds a positive light on the area... At a time when the threat of oil is hurting business.

Darryl Slye/Sandy Bottoms
"We attract tourists from all over the country. A lot of people from the east coast all the way to the west coast they tell you when they come in that they didn't realize that the beaches were like this and they will continue to come back."

The award is based on storm protection, habitat restoration and recreation. Corpus Christi, Texas also received the honor.