Seawalls

[Blake]

I was on the water yesterday viewing the Gulf front properties along 30-A. It is interesting to see different types of seawalls people are installing in an effort to protect their property. It will be very interesting what stands up to the storms and what doesn't. I hope we never find out. I have attached some photos --Blake

[DolphinDude]

An effective seawall should dissipate the energy from the wave action. Sand dunes work best because they absorb a lot of the energy before the wave heads back out to sea. Every man-made barrier I have seen creates an energy backwash. The result being sand washed away from the beach. If the barrier is big/tall enough, the property is "saved" at the expense of the beach. What you have left is usually hard packed sand and no beach to speak of at high tide.

[Beach Runner]

An effective seawall should dissipate the energy from the wave action. Sand dunes work best because they absorb a lot of the energy before the wave heads back out to sea. Every man-made barrier I have seen creates an energy backwash. The result being sand washed away from the beach. If the barrier is big/tall enough, the property is "saved" at the expense of the beach. What you have left is usually hard packed sand and no beach to speak of at high tide.

That's what happened at Fripp with what they did to save property. You can get trapped during a walk on the beach when the tide starts coming in and must escape via the closest walkover and walk home on the nearest roadway. It's awful and ugly.

[Miss Kitty]

That's what happened at Fripp with what they did to save property. You can get trapped during a walk on the beach when the tide starts coming in and must escape via the closest walkover and walk home on the nearest roadway. It's awful and ugly.

That sounds scary indeed!!

[kurt]

Thanks for the photos - they are sad.

[aquaticbiology]

and to think, they could have all had a nice jetty rock covered broken dune face across the whole county



the proof, and why not to use seawalls:
http://www.seahorsecontractors.com/rock/open.html

btw, turtles nest in sand on top of rock and even small pockets of sand within solid rock all the time

it should be fun watching and betting on which wall 'breaches' first!

carribean island related, but useful:

http://www.unesco.org/csi/pub/source/ero7.htm



http://www.unesco.org/csi/pub/source/ero8.htm

[JB]

This is a hot-button issue if ever there was one. I understand that homes must be saved, but at what cost?

My question is, why is the county not stepping in and instutiting some kind of guidelines/rules so if there is to be seawall construction, it is consistent from an aesthetic standpoint?

To me, nothing is uglier than four beach homes all in a row with four different kinds of seawalls.

[Miss Kitty]

This is a hot-button issue if ever there was one. I understand that homes must be saved, but at what cost?

My question is, why is the county not stepping in and instutiting some kind of guidelines/rules so if there is to be seawall construction, it is consistent from an aesthetic standpoint?

To me, nothing is uglier than four beach homes all in a row with four different kinds of seawalls.

It really is time for that vomiter smilie. I am curious about these structures, but will try and not see them in person if I can help it. Are these the "quick" fix walls or have they gotten a final okay from the county?

[seagrovelover]

Thanks for the pictures Blake, what a huge change this is for sowal beaches.

[kathydwells]

To me, nothing is uglier than four beach homes all in a row with four different kinds of seawalls.

Ok, I have an idea. Let's all just look out at the sea, she is beautiful, and then let's all look up at that beautiful moon and stars. Then in the daytime do the same thing, look up at that beautiful blue sky and awesome clouds...let's not turn around and look at any of the beach homes. Let's walk blindfolded down to the beach and don't peek. That is what I am gonna do the next time I am down there, if the seawalls look bad. Then, I am going to enjoy the friends and family I am there with. I am gonna say a little prayer for the homeowners, and business owners that the homes and businesses they have, don't fall off the dunes.

[Landlocked]

Ok, I have an idea. Let's all just look out at the sea, she is beautiful, and then let's all look up at that beautiful moon and stars. Then in the daytime do the same thing, look up at that beautiful blue sky and awesome clouds...let's not turn around and look at any of the beach homes. Let's walk blindfolded down to the beach and don't peek. That is what I am gonna do the next time I am down there, if the seawalls look bad. Then, I am going to enjoy the friends and family I am there with. I am gonna say a little prayer for the homeowners, and business owners that the homes and businesses they have, don't fall off the dunes.

Can you imagine what it would have been like to walk down that beach back in say, the 1500's? Talk about beautiful! You'd have to fight off the wildlife with a stick.

Oh, and Blake,

[Coast is Clear]

We came across some pictures from about 1996 when our kids were pretty young on the beach and it was shocking to see where the beach was and where it is today.

The dunes were huge and very deep, and the beach was at least 2x the depth it is today. I know this is not news to most long timers, but it was a surprise to stumble onto those pictures and see the reality of it.

Now, all that being said, I still think the beaches are beautiful and feel very lucky to get to enjoy them whenever I can. Sometimes I just need to remind myself to not say, 'if only' and be accepting of what God and life have to offer.

[JB]

Can you imagine what it would have been like to walk down that beach back in say, the 1500's? Talk about beautiful! You'd have to fight off the wildlife with a stick.

Oh, and Blake,

Interesting you mention that, as this is something I think about all the time. I would love to see these beaches the way DeSoto saw them.

Actually, anyone who saw the the South Walton beaches prior to 1970 got a pretty good idea of what the Spaniards saw in the 17th century. It really hasn't been that long ago that you could walk from Destin to Grayton and see nothing but dunes.

[Beach Runner]

Ok, I have an idea. Let's all just look out at the sea, she is beautiful, and then let's all look up at that beautiful moon and stars. Then in the daytime do the same thing, look up at that beautiful blue sky and awesome clouds...let's not turn around and look at any of the beach homes. Let's walk blindfolded down to the beach and don't peek. That is what I am gonna do the next time I am down there, if the seawalls look bad. Then, I am going to enjoy the friends and family I am there with. I am gonna say a little prayer for the homeowners, and business owners that the homes and businesses they have, don't fall off the dunes.

Yeah, but it'll be like at Fripp. Because of the seawalls, there won't be any beach to walk on anytime near high tide!

[Rita]

Blake and thanks for the pics.

[Bob]

Yeah, but it'll be like at Fripp. Because of the seawalls, there won't be any beach to walk on anytime near high tide!

SoWal will learn this lesson after it is too late. The seawalls will actually promote erosion.

[thumper]

I don't frequent this forum very often, so excuse me if this has been addressed already. But its time to stop complaining, mount the cavalry and put a stop to seawalls, like we did to high rises back when. I hear lots of noise but see no action being taken. Granted, people who build seawalls are acting on fear, but it borders on shameful. (If anyone is building a wall and would like to rebut me, please do.) There are better ways to protect properties-- that won't eliminate the beach.

Beachfront owners, Tear Down Your Walls.

[CastlesOfSand]

I was on the water yesterday viewing the Gulf front properties along 30-A. It is interesting to see different types of seawalls people are installing in an effort to protect their property. It will be very interesting what stands up to the storms and what doesn't. I hope we never find out. I have attached some photos --Blake

Those pictures just don't look right. The beach will never look the same. SAD!

[SHELLY]

Those pictures just don't look right. The beach will never look the same. SAD!

Thank goodness this is only "temporary armoring" and nothing to be alarmed about.

[SoWalSally]

From Walton Sun

Of 254 temporary armoring permits that have been issued in Walton County, Commissioner Ro Cuchens is listed as the contractor or agent on approximately 65, said Florida Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson Sara Williams.
Under a FDEP emergency final order, the Walton County Board of Commissioners approved a motion to temporarily remove restrictions prohibiting citizens from securing property at a July 12 meeting following Hurricane Dennis, which made landfall July 10.
The measure allowed property owners to shore up damaged property in imminent danger of collapsing by constructing temporary walls. Permits were to be purchased by a licensed contractor.
The vote was approved unanimously, which included Cuchens’ vote.
Based on Florida Statute 112.3143, public officials cannot vote on a measure that would personally affect them, Commission on Ethics spokesperson Helen Jones said. If there is ever a question if a measure presents a voting conflict, public officials should abstain from voting and file a query, she said.
If someone believes there may be a conflict, the Commission on Ethics interprets the law and will render an opinion, Jones explained, once a complaint has been lodged.
Civil penalties for violating the statute can incur civil penalties, public censure or removal from office.
The temporary wall permits are only valid for 60 days after completion, then homeowners must apply to FDEP for a permanent permit, Williams explained.
The FDEP is monitoring the progress of sea wall construction throughout Walton County. Currently, all structures are in compliance with permit deadlines, Williams said.
However, U.S. Fish and Wildlife expressed concern about violations of the Endangered Species Act in regard to as many as 158 seawalls.
Cuchens was contacted for comment but messages left for him at his office were not returned as of Thursday morning.

[SoWalSally]

From Walton Sun

Disgust has filled me during the past several months as I have watched brown sand being placed on our once beautiful beaches here.
While the county engineers have attempted to assure me that this sand will be topped off with three feet of white sand, I still maintain that the brown sand will mix with what’s left of our natural white quartz and sand when the next storm hits.
There is also the question of the size of the grain.
Samples of grains of sand as large as rock salt and some even pebble size were taken by me to the county engineers office where I was told by the chief engineer that he was not concerned with the size.
Excuse me? What is this?
Very recently we spent an informative evening listening to Brad Pickel who related the problems in finding the appropriate sand to be used for the upcoming beach nourishment. Appropriate was defined as being the correct color and size of the grain.
Now someone please explain to me why the size of the grain does not matter in what’s now been dumped on our beaches versus what is appropriate for the nourishment.
Face facts – the two are going to get mixed together one way or another.
It is obvious to so many that down the road we will all live with the results of the bad judgment which has allowed the dumping of totally inappropriate sand on the beach. These judgments were made in haste in a misguided effort to help people save their houses when the correct thinking all along should have been save our beaches.
It has been so unfortunate that people panicked after summer’s storms and thought dumping anything on the beach and building a seawall was the answer to the problems. Surely these people knew the Gulf was there when they bought or built their homes. And since time began, there have been storms.
My disgust reached new heights last Friday (Jan. 20) when I went to the beach and saw a bulldozer go to the water’s edge and began pushing our beautiful natural beach sand up to piece of beachfront property where a seawall is going on.
This was being done in spite of the fact that there are no permits out to anyone to scrape on the beach.
This was not the first time that I have seen this and I cannot but wonder about what kind of insanity permits it to continue.
Unfortunately, this world is full of those people who think it’s all right to do as they please. They know a permit is required when they build, know they are taking beach sand that is not theirs, but folks like this just don’t give a damn.
All of us have been so fortunate to enjoy a beautiful beach which nature created and nature occasionally decides to tear up or rearrange some. Perhaps it’s time for all to do as Seaside and Rosemary Beach are doing, and let nature take its course with beach nourishment being the only help.
Martha Heller

[aquaticbiology]

From Walton Sun

Disgust has filled me during the past several months as I have watched brown sand being placed on our once beautiful beaches here.
While the county engineers have attempted to assure me that this sand will be topped off with three feet of white sand, I still maintain that the brown sand will mix with what’s left of our natural white quartz and sand when the next storm hits.
There is also the question of the size of the grain.
Samples of grains of sand as large as rock salt and some even pebble size were taken by me to the county engineers office where I was told by the chief engineer that he was not concerned with the size.
Excuse me? What is this?
Very recently we spent an informative evening listening to Brad Pickel who related the problems in finding the appropriate sand to be used for the upcoming beach nourishment. Appropriate was defined as being the correct color and size of the grain.
Now someone please explain to me why the size of the grain does not matter in what’s now been dumped on our beaches versus what is appropriate for the nourishment.
Face facts – the two are going to get mixed together one way or another.
It is obvious to so many that down the road we will all live with the results of the bad judgment which has allowed the dumping of totally inappropriate sand on the beach. These judgments were made in haste in a misguided effort to help people save their houses when the correct thinking all along should have been save our beaches.
It has been so unfortunate that people panicked after summer’s storms and thought dumping anything on the beach and building a seawall was the answer to the problems. Surely these people knew the Gulf was there when they bought or built their homes. And since time began, there have been storms.
My disgust reached new heights last Friday (Jan. 20) when I went to the beach and saw a bulldozer go to the water’s edge and began pushing our beautiful natural beach sand up to piece of beachfront property where a seawall is going on.
This was being done in spite of the fact that there are no permits out to anyone to scrape on the beach.
This was not the first time that I have seen this and I cannot but wonder about what kind of insanity permits it to continue.
Unfortunately, this world is full of those people who think it’s all right to do as they please. They know a permit is required when they build, know they are taking beach sand that is not theirs, but folks like this just don’t give a damn.
All of us have been so fortunate to enjoy a beautiful beach which nature created and nature occasionally decides to tear up or rearrange some. Perhaps it’s time for all to do as Seaside and Rosemary Beach are doing, and let nature take its course with beach nourishment being the only help.
Martha Heller

so they could have had a wall o rock (like the surface of a jetty) - which was my idea in the first place - breaks up the waves and holds backthe sand in all the little holes - natural and when it gets blown away its just rocks that sink below the sand - might stub your toe on one but it wont give you tetanus

and my reaction after reading the bit about 'let nature take its course' was the proverbial teenage 'well, duh!'

[ecopal]

March 13th, Monday, 5 pm at the South Walton Courthouse Annex.
The public is invited.

County Sponsoring a Community Workshop on the Beaches.
(Please note this meeting was originally scheduled for March 21st. It has been moved to the 13th).

in attendance:

County staff

Florida Department of Environmental Regulation

U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Issues include the Incidental Take Permits, use of public tax money for
private seawalls, and private intrusion on public beach property.

# 1 Issue: Should Taxpayer Money Be Used to bring Private Seawalls into compliance with Federal law?

Who will pay for the incidental take permits and conservation plan that U.S. Fish & Wildlife is requiring for 158 of the seawalls that would otherwise be in violation of the Endangered Species Act.

Should tax money be used to help pay for seawalls which are only intended to protect private property?

Seawalls do not protect the beach.

To the contrary, documents published by both U.S. Fish & Wildlife and the DEP indicate that coastal armoring “can result in accelerated erosion seaward of the hardened structure and adjacent to the structure, especially on the downdraft side (end scour)”*


# 2 Issue: Should the County Approve Seawalls Constructed on the Public Beach which can contribute to beach erosion and interfere with public use?

A representative for 10 property owners in the Seagrove Beach area has acknowledged that their seawalls were “inadvertently” built seaward of their gulf front property line. *In other words, their seawalls are on public property, anywhere from 28’ to 40’ beyond their property line. Most of the walls are already finished and covered with sand.


*The “DEP Report for the Governor’s Coastal High Hazard Study Commission” states on page 3, “Armoring protects upland structures but it has the adverse effect of increasing the erosion in front of the armoring structures and adjacent properties as the system becomes sand starved” Dec. 2005.

[Dave Rauschkolb]

Just imagine the lawsuits when our beach is eliminated behind all these private seawalls. There will be no beach left just like in Galveston Tx. The only thing that is going to protect our beach is to dredge sand like in west Walton Co. ASAP

[kurt]

Just imagine the lawsuits when our beach is eliminated behind all these private seawalls. There will be no beach left just like in Galveston Tx. The only thing that is going to protect our beach is to dredge sand like in west Walton Co. ASAP

How soon that will happen remains to be seen. The process for eastern SoWal has started and a big sticking point will be if enough suitable sand is located. If there is not, will folks settle for sand that is less than the existing white sand that is so unique? By lowering standards recently for dune rebuilding, is it already a moot point?

In the current project in western SoWal, if they were to run out of white sand, the project would be halted. Would we just walk away or approve lesser sand to complete the project?

[ecopal]

Please be reminded there is a public workshop scheduled for Monday, March 13th at 5 P.M. at the South Walton courthouse annex. It is my understanding that two issues will be addressed in particular: the issue of the incidental take permits and the Habitat Conservation Plan, how it will work and who will pay for *it and the issue of *the 10 seawalls built on public property.

As taxpayers, I encourage you to attend.

If you can not attend please monitor:

www.southwaltoncc.org
&
www.sowal.com message board
&
local news papers

for further information so you can contact the county commissioners with your input and questions.

[ecopal]

BCC meeting, 5pm today at the South Walton Courthouse:

Some private owners built a seawall on public beach property.

The BCC will discuss and may decide to permit or to deny private owners the right to keep their seawalls on public beach.

Ten to eleven homeowners in Seagrove built their Seawalls on the public beach and are asking the County to allow the seawalls to remain on the public beach.

This will affect public use of the beach.

These seawalls affect 2 public accesses.

If you use the beaches in Seagrove you don't want to miss this meeting.

[SHELLY]

If we work it right, maybe the homeowners will let us park in their driveways, trudge through their living rooms, and sit out on their patio--may even be able to swing having Pina Colada's delivered (I'll have the red umbrella--not the blue one--on my pineapple spear please... )

P.S. A place to store my beach equipment and a nice warm shower to rinse off the sand would be a nice touch too.

Otherwise.....MOVE IT CLYDE!!!

[SGB]

Does anyone know where in Seagrove the 10-11 homeowners are located? Does anyone know which beach accesses are affected?

[TooFarTampa]

Any news?

[Dave Rauschkolb]

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...D10%26hl%3Den%

[Jdarg]

Thanks Dave for these pics and your other threads with the seawall and geotube info. Interesting stuff! Very interesting.

[Beach Runner]

Dave, the article is shocking ! I just don't understand how our county and state can allow the building of seawalls when there are so many studies and so much evidence of the harm they do to the beach.

Thanks again for the great info.

[TooFarTampa]

Dave, the article is shocking ! I just don't understand how our county and state can allow the building of seawalls when there are so many studies and so much evidence of the harm they do to the beach.

Thanks again for the great info.

Not to be too nosy BR (well OK a little) but don't you own gulf front? I've thought about you several times wondering whether you are far back enough and what kind of issues you have. It seems to me that all GF owners aren't in the same boat, and I'm wondering about your particular neck of the woods. Your house is newer right, so was it built far back? What about your neighbors?

[yippie]

This is a clear case of the "Have's" and the "Have Not's"

I "have" a home that is safe from collaspe
BMBV "has not"!

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

This is a clear case of the "Have's" and the "Have Not's"

I "have" a home that is safe from collaspe
BMBV "has not"!

yuppie,

Cute.

Thanks for the post.

[yippie]

yuppie,

Cute.

Thanks for the post.

You're welcome.

Yippie.

[Smiling JOe]

Read the captions below the photos. It seems to me that the only difference is Man's decision to change things to better fit his life. See my new signature line.

Have we grown too accustomed to wanting everything NOW?

[Dave Rauschkolb]

Impacts of Seawalls

copied from Surfrider site



1) Passive erosion -"Wherever a hard structure is built along a shoreline undergoing long-term net erosion, the shoreline will eventually migrate landward beyond the structure. The effect of this migration will be the gradual loss of beach in front of the seawall or revetment as the water deepens and the shoreface moves landward.... While private structures may be temporarily saved, the public beach is lost. This process of passive erosion appears to be a generally agreed upon result of fixing the position of the shoreline on an otherwise eroding stretch of coast, and is independent of the type of seawall constructed." It is evident that passive erosion will eventually destroy the recreational beach area unless this area is continually replenished. Excessive passive erosion may impact the beach profile such that shallow areas required to create breaking waves for surfing are lost (Seaside Reef).

2) Placement loss - Seawalls are placed on the beach. In many cases, construction of seawalls is on public property (beach). In Solana Beach for example most land for seawalls is leased free of charge to the property owners. This is a taking of extremely valuable public property.

3) Active Erosion - Refers to the interrelationship between wall and beach whereby due to wave reflection, storm surf zone narrowing and a thousand other processes the wall may actually increase the rate of loss of beach. This is site specific and dependent on sand input. There are varying opinions on if this effect actually exists. However, as watchdogs of the coast, until there is overwhelming evidence that this effect is not significant, many of us have opposed seawalls on this basis.

4) Public access impacts - these can be a result of passive erosion, placement loss or active erosion. Seawalls built on eroding beaches, will lead to the loss of access. Solana Beach and North County beaches are eroding.

5) Visual/aesthetic impacts - Seawalls are ugly and detract from simple pleasures as a walk on the beach.

6) Economic issues - local, state or federal subsidies or construction to protect private property, or insurance coverage. Construction is performed on State or Municipal land. The public has never been compensated for this loss of valuable property.

7) Loss of sand supplied by eroding bluffs that are armored. A minimal fee for this sand is collected from property owners for the sand that would provide beach material. Additionally, the eroded area would create a beach. We do not feel the public is sufficiently mitigated for the loss of sand and beach.

8) The most important thing to remember is that a seawall is never built to protect the beach. Rather, it is built to protect property, structures or a cliff from erosion.

[Allifunn]

This is just my opinion, but I believe that seawalls will eventually be leveled by nature. In the case of the beach, coast or water front of this nature, natural forces (ie...winds, waves, storms and hurricanes) will batter the areas. No manmade structure can truly defend against nature. It will last as long as nature allows it to. I agree with George Carlin..one day the earth is going to sluff off mankind like a bad parasite...seawalls a necessary to the existence of mankind, not of nature.
I also enjoyed aquaticbiologys post in the other Seawall thread, regarding seawalls and the effects of people in general on the coast. It is a fact that humanity is going to flock to the beach, but what I find offensive is the complete lack of respect to the beach and their fellow man these people have!

[Smiling JOe]

As I understand it, the DEP will not look at the permit requests of the seawalls which are on the public's beach, until the County addresses the issue of the legalities of them being on County property. Only after the County works this out, could they go to the DEP to request a permit for the seawall. If the County says not to the licensing agreement (which is highly unlikely, IMO), the DEP will not look at the request for permits, and the walls would likely have to be removed at some point in time.

[Andy A]

First of all, I love the idea of an "artificial reef" at Blue Mt. Beach. My wife and I were sitting on the walk over this mornining noticing and commenting on how the waves were breaking at the second sand bar. Consequently, there was little or no break at the seashore. Right now, we have more beach than we have had in a long, long time. I do think, strictly from personal observation, the idea of creating wave breakage further out from the shoreline definitely has some merit. But not being versed in oceanography, I don't know. Secondly, for some of us who have constructed walls, replaced sand and planted new plantlife, removing the walls is not an option. There are many reasons why this is not feasible but the main and overriding one is endangerment of the existing stuctures that have now been totally restabilized. Many of these walls were constructed using proper engineering, surveys and building techniques. Taking them out now would be tantamount to a criminal act. By the way, DEP sat in on at least three major meetings concerning the building of our wall. They offered little or no guidance at the time and have been totally silent regarding permanent approval of the wall, now in place for over two hurricane seasons.

[Smiling JOe]

and that is why you will never see the County tearing down the walls.

[NotDeadYet]

Many of these walls were constructed using proper engineering, surveys and building techniques.

Andy, we are not talking about your wall, or walls that were built as described above. We are talking about walls built on public beaches, some as far out as 80ft onto public beaches, much further than they needed to be. The "proper engineering and surveys" were in error, supposedly. But that old Seagrove plat never even deeded the entire bluff to the beachfront property owners, let alone the beach, and anyone who tells you they didn't know that probably has some swamp land in South Florida to sell you. And most of them were built by a sitting county commissioner's business. I'm not saying they should be torn down, or even that they never should have been built - that is a topic for another discussion - but I am saying they should have been sited as far landward as possible and since the beaches there are public, all this business about leases should have been settled before they were built. Before everyone and his brother started claiming "ownership' of the beach and the right to exclude people from the beach, it didn't matter so much. As far as I am concerned, every inch of public beach now matters.

[GoodWitch58]

Andy, we are not talking about your wall, or walls that were built as described above. We are talking about walls built on public beaches, some as far out as 80ft onto public beaches, much further than they needed to be. The "proper engineering and surveys" were in error, supposedly. But that old Seagrove plat never even deeded the entire bluff to the beachfront property owners, let alone the beach, and anyone who tells you they didn't know that probably has some swamp land in South Florida to sell you. And most of them were built by a sitting county commissioner's business. I'm not saying they should be torn down, or even that they never should have been built - that is a topic for another discussion - but I am saying they should have been sited as far landward as possible and since the beaches there are public, all this business about leases should have been settled before they were built. Before everyone and his brother started claiming "ownership' of the beach and the right to exclude people from the beach, it didn't matter so much. As far as I am concerned, every inch of public beach now matters.

THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION:
SECTION 11. Sovereignty lands.–The title to lands under navigable waters, within the boundaries of the state, which have not been alienated, including beaches below mean high water lines, is held by the state, by virtue of its sovereignty, in trust for all the people. Sale of such lands may be authorized by law, but only when in the public interest. Private use of portions of such lands may be authorized by law, but only when not contrary to the public interest.

I wonder if the County has considered hiring a good constitutional lawyer and getting an intrepretation of this Section of the Florida Constitution ...

[scooterbug44]

THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION:
SECTION 11. Sovereignty lands.–The title to lands under navigable waters, within the boundaries of the state, which have not been alienated, including beaches below mean high water lines, is held by the state, by virtue of its sovereignty, in trust for all the people. Sale of such lands may be authorized by law, but only when in the public interest. Private use of portions of such lands may be authorized by law, but only when not contrary to the public interest.

I wonder if the County has considered hiring a good constitutional lawyer and getting an intrepretation of this Section of the Florida Constitution ...

Part of the current issue is determining where the mean high water lines are, but IMO don't need a lawyer to interpret the rest!

[Andy A]

NDY, agreed. Sometimes on this board its hard to understand to what a poster is referring.

[Smiling JOe]

I thought there was one on Pelican Circle which was ordered to come down last year. It is still standing.

[scooterbug44]

They can fight Mother Nature all they want, but IMO my grandkids will have a VERY clear view of the ocean from 30A as the houses built too close keep getting eaten away.

[Smiling JOe]

BMBV, I will add that while I am against seawalls along the beach, I do not wish harm on anyone or their property, including beach-front owners. As someone else wrote, I am just stating some things that seem so obvious -- if you build on loose sand, don't be surprised if the sand washes away. I doubt the seawalls would hold up to a major Hurricane, and I think it is highly likely that we will find pieces of carbon or whatever they are made of, scattered down the beach and in the shallow water. It might look similar to WWII barricades along the beach, and if you think it was costly installing them, wait until you have to get a crane on a barge to pull them out of the water.