Eastern Lake outlet - dredging

[Lois]

There will be an important public meeting held tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 9th from 6 PM – 8:30 PM at the Seagrove Baptist Church. The engineering firm, Preble-Rish, will be there to discuss the sand removal from the mouth of Eastern Lake and their proposal for the outflow of Eastern Lake. This is a meeting to get neighborhood input. It is hoped that some of our commissioners and other interested parties from the county will be there. ELNA is strongly encouraging attendance by it’s’ members and anyone else in the community, that may be interested. Please plan on attending and call you friends and neighbors (ELNA members and non-members) and ask them to attend. It is vital that we have a good showing!!

[Wastin Away]

I own a home off of Eastern Lake and live out of state and will not be able to attend. Can you please explain why this meeting was called. This is the first I have heard of anything involving engineers and Eastern Lake.

Thank you.

[Lois]

I own a home off of Eastern Lake and live out of state and will not be able to attend. Can you please explain why this meeting was called. This is the first I have heard of anything involving engineers and Eastern Lake.

Thank you.

Hi,

I don't have all the details, but a LOT of sand has accumulated at the outflow of Eastern Lake, which has blocked the lake from opening and closing naturally. The influx of sand has apparently happened both naturally and from beachfront homeowners bringing in sand. The lake has been unable to open in quite some time and an engineering team wants to open up the lake manually but to a greater extent than ELNA deems necessary and they feel would cause even further harm to the lake. The lake is rising and many of the docks on the lake are under water .. there's also a lot of additional run-off into the lake now with all the new construction going on and with the outflow being blocked the lake is unable to "cleanse" itself and a lot of algae has appeared along with dead-fish!

For full details, please contact Jeanne Wilson, jeannie@sugarsandproperties.com, she's the Secretary for ELNA and if you're an Eastern Lake neighborhood home owner, it would be good for you to become part of this association. They send out e-mail updates regularly on the "goings-on" in the area.

[Franny]

Thanks for the info Lois. We will definitely attend. There have been many problems with the lake and if something is not done soon it could actually "die" from what I understand. I can only hope that our commissioner makes this meeting as he has missed other important meeting s in the past regarding EL.

[kurt]

Surely this has happened more than once over the past 10,000 years.

[Franny]

Kurt, I don't think it has been this bad in many, many years. I know the couple that own the house at the mouth of the lake and the gulf and he has not seen this kind of problem since they have owned there house.

[kurt]

Kurt, I don't think it has been this bad in many, many years. I know the couple that own the house at the mouth of the lake and the gulf and he has not seen this kind of problem since they have owned there house.

I would be interested to know from some of the old timers if they've seen it this way. I suspect the answer would be no. Might have to go back a hundred years or more, but it is a cycle.

Please let us know the results of the meeting.

[Smiling JOe]

I wonder if Mr CJ will be able to attend this meeting. CJ, if Mr CJ is ever going to get on board, this would be an opportune time.

[TreeFrog]

Not sure I understand the need for dredging at the moment. I walk that part of the beach once or twice a week and I'd say the outflow from the lake right now is wide, deep, and fast flowing as I've seen it since I've been here (2 years). In other words, it was definitely not blocked as of day before yesterday.

[Lois]

Not sure I understand the need for dredging at the moment. I walk that part of the beach once or twice a week and I'd say the outflow from the lake right now is wide, deep, and fast flowing as I've seen it since I've been here (2 years). In other words, it was definitely not blocked as of day before yesterday.

That's good news Tree Frog. When ELNA held their meeting a couple of weeks ago that was not the case and the "Old Timers" were VERY concerned. They had some great stories to tell of their lifetime on the lake and it was sad to hear that there are currently no fish or crabs to speak of. One woman said she saw a construction guy empty a bucket of paint in the lake she of course reported it but, of course, nothing could be done at that point.

[Smiling JOe]

That's good news Tree Frog. When ELNA held their meeting a couple of weeks ago that was not the case and the "Old Timers" were VERY concerned. They had some great stories to tell of their lifetime on the lake and it was sad to hear that there are currently no fish or crabs to speak of. One woman said she saw a construction guy empty a bucket of paint in the lake she of course reported it but, of course, nothing could be done at that point.

... and I thought they were saying that the sand was killing the Lake.

[Lois]

Thanks for the info Lois. We will definitely attend. There have been many problems with the lake and if something is not done soon it could actually "die" from what I understand. I can only hope that our commissioner makes this meeting as he has missed other important meeting s in the past regarding EL.

The total lack of response from our commissioner was brought up at the last ELNA meeting. MANY people had contacted him either by phone or e-mail concerning various issues or asking him to participate in group meetings, but not one of them have received any kind of response whatsoever. We need to at least try and get this guy on-board and away from the developers deep pockets. If you have a moment, please e-mail him at: brascott@co.walton.fl.us

[TreeFrog]

Can anyone post a report on the meeting?

[Smiling JOe]

It is my understanding that these rare intercoastal lakes were at one time, freshwater lakes, blocked off from the Gulf by sand dunes. If this is true, what is the problem here? If it is true, isn't the real problem that the lake front property owners have a problem with it? Perhaps my information about these lakes being freshwater at one time is irroneous? What do you say?

[Franny]

It is my understanding that these rare intercoastal lakes were at one time, freshwater lakes, blocked off from the Gulf by sand dunes. If this is true, what is the problem here? If it is true, isn't the real problem that the lake front property owners have a problem with it? Perhaps my information about these lakes being freshwater at one time is irroneous? What do you say?

SJ I have never heard that the lakes were fresh water at one time, but I could be wrong. I thought the reson for their rarity was because of the fresh/salt combination..coastal lake. Would love to hear others opinion of this.

[Smiling JOe]

SJ I have never heard that the lakes were fresh water at one time, but I could be wrong. I thought the reson for their rarity was because of the fresh/salt combination..coastal lake. Would love to hear others opinion of this.

I will see if Mr CJ knows. I do think you are correct regarding the rarity of the Lakes. That they open and close "naturally," which is not the case all the time anymore. Now, we bring in heavy yellow equipment to get them going.

[TreeFrog]

Now, we bring in heavy yellow equipment to get them going.

Since it's flowing now, does anyone know if they dredged it to get it going?

Can anyone report on last night's meeting?

[Amp22]

I'd bet that just as there are short term cycles of opening and clsing with weather and waves, there is a longer term cycle where they go through long periods of being closed. Campbell Lake is an example of one that is totally fresh and does not open, but probably has been in the past.

I guess it's too late to leave them alone now. Building on the lakes is the problem. Fertilzer, pesticide, human waste, runoff, etc will kill them. So they may need to be opened to flush out all the crap. If we had enforcement and residents taking responsibility then maybe we could leave them alone and let nature take care of itself.

WaterColor left a nice buffer on Western Lake.

Lakefront owners and county residents need to take ownership of the lakes and be good stewards - plant native instead of grass that needs fertilizer and pesticides, eliminate septic systems, be vigilant about trash and pollution.

Then again, some of the lakes had so much pressure treated (toxic) lumber dumped into them from the hurricanes that they may die regardless as the toxins leach out.

[SoWalSally]

From Walton Sun

Hurricanes haven’t damaged just homes, property and the beaches in South Walton, they have also affected Eastern Coastal Dune Lake.
Eastern Lake’s outfall has been clogged with sand driven in by the force of the storms, said Cliff Knauer, vice president and project manager for Preble-Rish Inc.
At a Feb. 9 public meeting, Knauer said the best way to fix the outfall is to dig it out and restore it to its October 2002 state.
“We are trying to put the lake back in the condition where it was functioning naturally. Where it was popping off on its own,” Knauer said.
Knauer has dubbed the plan the Eastern Lake Restoration Project.
The distance from the Gulf to the edge of the lake is now 660 feet. When the restoration is done it will be 150 - 200 feet. Natural vegetation will also be added.
Presently, the lake only opens when the water level is high. The county also has an emergency permit from the Department of Environmental Protection Agency to open the outfall when the level of the lake threatens to flood homes.
Nowadays when the outfall is cut open, it is only a trickle of what it used to be, Knauer said.
Knauer will present the plan along with a summary of the public meeting to Walton County Public Works, which will have final say in what is to be done.
Audience members at the Feb. 9 meeting expressed concerns that Knauer’s plan called for dunes being built near the opening of the outfall.
If built, the dunes would reduce the area near the outfall in which people could set up beach chairs. Sand from the dunes could also be blown into the outfall and once again restrict the water flow, said Jeannie Wilson, secretary of the Eastern Lake Neighborhood Association.
“We want them to take out as little sand as possible to fix the lake and not to place sand on sides of the opening,” Wilson said. “The sand should be placed to the east and west of outfall for the gulf front property owners who could really use the sand to protect them from future storms.”
The project could cost around $200,000, and no plans have been submitted to any agency for approval, Knauer said.

A "before" picture, and a "proposed" picture attached.

[Beach Runner]

SJ I have never heard that the lakes were fresh water at one time, but I could be wrong. I thought the reson for their rarity was because of the fresh/salt combination..coastal lake. Would love to hear others opinion of this.

I have read that 30-A and Africa are the only places in the world one can find these coastal lakes. But I've Googled a few combinations of keywords, and the only link that says this is just a travel link http://www.travellady.com/Issues/Dec...yAdventure.htm with no explanation regarding what makes these lakes so rare.

[TreeFrog]

I've seen plenty of old aerial photos of the lake outlet, but never one where it was anywhere near that big. Seems to me that outlet will turn it into a small bay after the next storm.

[TreeFrog]

With reference to Mr. Knauer's comments, and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it the proper nature of dune lakes to only drain when the water level is high?

[Smiling JOe]

“We are trying to put the lake back in the condition where it was functioning naturally. Where it was popping off on its own,” Knauer said.


I find this philosophy interesting, that man has to manipulate the environment so that it(the environment) can act "naturally."

Anyone care to explain this craziness to me?

[TreeFrog]

[QUOTE=Smiling JOe]“popping off on its own”

SJ - Seems that it's doing that all by itself right now. I agree, why mess with it?

[Rita]

“We are trying to put the lake back in the condition where it was functioning naturally. Where it was popping off on its own,” Knauer said.


I find this philosophy interesting, that man has to manipulate the environment so that it(the environment) can act "naturally."

Anyone care to explain this craziness to me?

Could it be an engineering philosophy - "We can make things better."

Just a thought - What's the difference between protecting these homes from flooding and the protecting of gulf front homes with sea walls and geotubes from erosion?

The hurricane was a natural force in action and most likely has at some time in the past changed Eastern Lake and at some time in the future will again.

[Smiling JOe]

Could it be an engineering philosophy - "We can make things better."

Just a thought - What's the difference between protecting these homes from flooding and the protecting of gulf front homes with sea walls and geotubes from erosion?

The hurricane was a natural force in action and most likely has at some time in the past changed Eastern Lake and at some time in the future will again.

There may be legit reasons of contaminating Eastern Lake with the septic tank overflows, but I do not see anyone's home on the Lake which is about to be submerged nor anyone's house which is about to fall into the Lake.