Management Plan Meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 24th at the Coastal Branch Library (1pm-4pm). Please visit www.dunelakes.org for more information.

Philip CBA, I cannot make this meeting. Will you email me on the results?

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Hopefully they will all be posted here.

We will post them immediately after the meeting. Let me know if you have any issues that need to be discussed during the meeting....

It seems from our last meeting that most of us are on the same page. I would like to reiterate the priorities covered in our last meeting of the Coastal Lakes. In addition, I would like to pose another potential change for Big Redfish Lake with all of the development. In particular, as you know, we haven't seen much change in the salinity of this lake since the Gulf doesn't seem to penetrate it too often. With all of the new units from the 4 major projects being built around the Lake, we should expect to see 1500 people using a beach which is currently being used by maybe <50 people. Seeing how much people like manipulating the outflows at the other Lakes, I think we will see more of this at Big Redfish. Currently, it looks as though people have tried to dam the outflow, probably just playing around. ( It seems that we humans take an interest in changing things just because we can. ) Question: In the long term, how will this human manipulation of opening and closing of the outflow of Big Redfish, which seems to be very constant otherwise? Should we also include education of this man-made change to a natural thing?

Phillip, if you are doing a photo presentation, I have been snapping some shots of the projects on Big Redfish. If you would like me to forward a copy to you to use at this meeting, just let me know.

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Thanks for the comments, Smiling Joe......The question you pose has been a main topic of discussion at these meetings. Certainly, there will be an increased impact to human manipulation of the outlets in the face of increased usage. Currently, Walton County has approved for signs to be placed at the outlets stating that manipulation of these outlets is illegal with a fine up to $10,000. Hopefully, these will be in place before the summer season.......The question you pose is a bigger problem of how to promote awareness of these critical ecosystems to tourists and second homeowners. We definitely need a targetted marketing campaign from an entity who has the manpower and resources. Perhaps we should discuss this with the TDC........Any thoughts?

Scott will be posting the information from today's meetings. Please feel free to come to any of the meetings; the majority of the issues pertain to all of the lakes.

Smiling Joe, please send me the pictures you have for my files and future presentations.

Big Redfish Lake
Management Plan Meeting
Monday, April 24, 2006


I. Areas of Concern

Invasive Exotic Species

• Impact from reeds growing near culvert on 30-A

Management of Outlet

• The outlet doesn’t open as much to allow salinity input to maintain the historic presence of some marine fish noted previously in Big Redfish Lake
• Managing outfalls to enhance the fisheries and water quality
• Maintaining outfalls to a natural condition

Storm-water Management

• Water quality degradation due to improper storm-water management

Preservation and Enhancement

• Removal of sediments caused by construction
• Maintaining these lakes as natural systems
• Limiting outside influence (e.g. balancing overall community needs against potential political, development and individual concerns)

Education/Outreach

• More watershed protection awareness to community; especially for new developments

Governmental codes and regulations

• Technical review for projects impacting the lake (occurring within the watershed)
• Inadequate setbacks from water
• Enforcement of current codes/regulations
• Enforcement of setbacks after homeowners takeover ownership
• Follow-up on impacted areas
• The increasing requests for new construction projects such as bridges and marinas

Water Quality

• Impacting wildlife (especially fisheries)

II. Potential Solutions

• Reassess vegetation buffer setbacks; increase setbacks for new development and ensure they are enforced

• Minimize amount of fill allowed on new developments

• Define and provide better development practices around the lakes

• Require a minimum of 4-stroke engines to be used on the lake

• Increase scientific understanding of the function of the outlets

• Treat reeds growing south of 30-A culvert on Big Redfish Lake

• Educating homeowners to minimize lawns and fertilizers; promote natural landscape

• Up front information to developers/homeowners on codes/regulations during county permitting process

Thanks for the updates, Phillip and Scott.

Scott, did you mean to write, "Require a minimum of 4-stroke engines to be used on the lake?"

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Currently, there are no restrictions on the use of motorized boats in the lakes (save for Walton County's no jet ski rule). While their is minimal activity of boats within the lakes, some residents were concerned about the impact of gas motors. One suggestion was to require the cleaner 4-stroke engines to be used. Of course the ultimate preference would be to use only electric motors or canoes/kayaks. However, there are a lot of lakeside homeowner's that have and use gas-powered boats. Any thoughts on this matter?

My question is with the wording. By requiring a minimum of a 4 stroke engine, that sounds like one must have a 4 stroke engine to boat on the lake.

There are a few small engine boats on Big Redfish, but there isn't much traveling they can do, so I don't even know why they have one, unless they use it as a means to hall their stuff and themselves to the beach. I have never seen one of the boats with motors in acutal operation on Big Redfish, so I don't know that it is currently a problem. I doubt any of the new project owners on Big Redfish will keep a boat there, and a motorboat would seem like overkill on such a small lake anyway. (although I guess that doesn't stop some folks).

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Excellent point, Smiling Joe.....I will make sure the wording is a little clearer in the future.....The main discussion point was how to limit the impacts from outboard motors. Because of the diminutive size of these lakes and the small number of boats currently present on them, I do not think this is a major issue. However, people do use boats on the lakes, and this was discussed as a possible means of protection......This may fall more into the boater education/outreach category rather than enhancing the existing rules/regulations of the County.