update on Eastern Lake outfall

[SoWalSally]

By David Magliano

Worth Williams’ property on the southern end of Eastern Lake is causing a stir, and he is the focus of some concerned residents.
At issue is a planned dredging project that includes using a portion of Williams’ property. Williams said he will allow access to his property if in return the county gives him portion of a 33-foot right of way that runs along his land.
Supporters of the dredging said the project is necessary to restore Eastern Lake to its coastal dune lake status, but they do not want the county to give up part of the right of way.
Eastern Lake residents Hal Smith, Tedd Wilson and Billy Mancil gathered signatures in a petition sent to the Walton County Board of County Commissioners asking the county to hold onto its right of way.
They said surrendering it would prevent the county from reaching its own property, which lies north of Williams’ lot and directly borders the lake. Some also fear it would limit beach access for pedestrians.
Williams said that wouldn’t happen.
“I have never nor will I ever limit beach access,” Williams said. “People have been using that pedestrian beach walkway for probably hundreds of years. I would never do that, and I’ve never said I would.”
The ongoing issues of Eastern Lake began in June 2005, when the county removed sand from Williams property to drain the lake, which District 1 County Commissioner Scott Brannon said was too high, threatening to flood homes.
Williams brought the sand to construct dunes he said were lost during Hurricane Ivan. He hired professionals for the work, but Walton County stopped the project at the request of other homeowners.
Tropical Strom Arlene and Hurricane Dennis then blew the sand away.
The petitioners said the sand blew into the lake and outfall area, causing the elevation of the lake and outfall area to rise while preventing the lake from naturally connecting with the gulf.
They feel the dredging project will fi x the lake. The Coastal Dune Lakes Advisory Board also recommends the dredging project, and the BCC plans to follow that recommendation.
But to do it, the county needs Williams’ permission.
“That is the critical next step,” Brannon said.
Brannon does not support surrendering portions of county right of ways to private citizens, particularly right of ways that have traditionally been used by the public for beach access.
Williams is proposing the county keep fi ve feet of the right of way, enough to maintain a pedestrian walkway to the public portion of the beach.
Still, Brannon said that by shrinking the size of the right of way and allowing Williams to build around it, pedestrians will think that it is private property and will lose its use anyway.
While some homeowners have questioned Williams’ concern for Eastern Lake, he said he wants what is best for the lake’s continued well-being. But if use of his private property is needed, he feels he should be compensated.
“I want to make it right for Eastern Lake, but this is private property,” said Williams. “When it is taken for public use, it has to be win-win.”
Brannon said Williams’ concerns about use of his property are understandable, as the commissioner said the land is “one of the more valuable pieces of property in the southeast United States.”
Williams said he would like to meet with everyone interested, including the county commissioners and the concerned homeowners, in an effort to better move forward with fi xing the lake.
Brannon said he is “open to anything that resolves and moves this forward,” and feels a solution is within reach.
“I’m ambitious and confident that we’ll get something worked out,” Brannon said.

[SoWalSally]

PLANNING DEPARTMENT REVIEWING LAKE RECOMMENDATIONS
By Gabriel Tynes

To protect the contested historical and natural outfall of Eastern Lake, The Walton County Planning Department will consider adopting ordinances to the comprehensive plan blocking the obstruction or alteration to any coastal dune lake.
Preliminary ordinance recommendations were crafted by the Coastal Dune Lakes Advisory Board and presented to the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday. The recommendations included adopting a recent plan by engineering fi rm Preble-Rish to remove sand from the Eastern Lake outfall. The outfall has been manipulated by storm surges and private interference since last summer, and Preble-Rish suggested the removal of several tons of sand, leaving the outfall wider and closer to the Gulf, as it last appeared in 2002.
Meg Nelson, an at-large member of the advisory board, also pressured the BCC to pursue a special state designation for the dune lakes, a procedure which would allow unique flexibility in their conservation.
“These lakes are globally rare,” Nelson said. “Part of the bio-gem of Walton County. It is important the state look at these lakes in a different status than other water bodies.”
Nelson also suggested the board review a longterm solution to complete ownership and control of the outfalls, a problem that is preventing a more prompt solution to the situation at Eastern Lake.
Still, Commissioner Scott Brannon cautioned progress on the ordinances could be “challenging and lengthy.”
It’s going to be tough to account for the setback,” Brannon said.
Brannon was referring to the problem with determining the county’s 50-foot setback requirement from the center of an outfall that naturally meanders.
The advisory board also recommended the county refuse any abandonment of right of ways on San Roy Road, which is used by the county to access the perimeter of the lake and the beach.
Commissioner Cindy Meadows said the Preble-Rish recommendations would be implemented before any of the others, but suggested the key to a more absolute control would be land purchases.
Commissioner Larry Jones cautioned the language in the recommendations needed to be thoroughly reviewed.
“These are sound recommendations but we need to know exactly what we’re talking about,” Jones said.
Last month, the BCC was presented with a list of 272 signatures on a petition to act on the Eastern Lake situation. The BCC forwarded the plans to the planning department, which will make additional recommendations available to the public prior to any adoption.

[TreeFrog]

Once again, the lake opened naturally yesterday, without any "assistance". This after someone tried to open it about 4 or 5 days ago, only to be foiled by the gulf promptly filling the trench they dug.

I have now seen it open and close naturally 3 times since September. I'd be interested in hearing from a long-time local - Is this behavior the way the lake has worked historically (in the absence of interference)?

Because it seems to my amateur eye that we don't need the dredging recommended by Preble-Rish just to get the lake to open and close naturally. Is there some other benefit to the dredging?

[TreeFrog]

Preliminary ordinance recommendations were crafted by the Coastal Dune Lakes Advisory Board and presented to the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday. The recommendations included adopting a recent plan by engineering fi rm Preble-Rish to remove sand from the Eastern Lake outfall. The outfall has been manipulated by storm surges and private interference since last summer, and Preble-Rish suggested the removal of several tons of sand, leaving the outfall wider and closer to the Gulf, as it last appeared in 2002.

The outfall IS NOW wide and close to the gulf and has been for couple of months. When it closes, there is a "bulb" shape that forms, with only 20 to 30 feet of sand separating it from the gulf. I don't know what it looked like in 2002. Is there a photo somewhere?

[Unplugged]

Once again, the lake opened naturally yesterday, without any "assistance". This after someone tried to open it about 4 or 5 days ago, only to be foiled by the gulf promptly filling the trench they dug.

I have now seen it open and close naturally 3 times since September. I'd be interested in hearing from a long-time local - Is this behavior the way the lake has worked historically (in the absence of interference)?

Because it seems to my amateur eye that we don't need the dredging recommended by Preble-Rish just to get the lake to open and close naturally. Is there some other benefit to the dredging?

Got any pics?????

[TreeFrog]

Got any pics?????

Here's what it looked like Sept 16. Didn't get my camera down there today, but it's pretty similar.

[Panhandler]

it seems to my amateur eye that we don't need the dredging recommended by Preble-Rish just to get the lake to open and close naturally. Is there some other benefit to the dredging?

I think one of the primary complaints with the Eastern Lake outfall is that the lake water goes out, but the Gulf water does not come back in (as it does with ALL other unobstructed dune lakes). Without gulf water, the lake is showing more freshwater traits, as can be seen on monthly CBA water quality charts. Interestingly, I believe the CBA has monitored Eastern Lake longer than any other, so the data seems fairly indicative of a changing habitat...
The problem is, sand on the beach is higher than both the lake AND the gulf, a situation that is neither natural or ideal. If you will recall, the 3 or 4 feet of sand there now WAS NOT there in 2002, so the lake behaved as it should.

Here is a pic from November 14 showing a trench dug by the county, which opened a few days later after a rain event. At that time, the outfall was at least 50 feet from the Gulf, perhaps as much as 80 feet...



In my opinion, just because the lake opens regularly doesn't mean it's healthy or natural. That's like saying there is no such thing as global warming because the flowers still bloom every Spring...

[Smiling JOe]

I think one of the primary complaints with the Eastern Lake outfall is that the lake water goes out, but the Gulf water does not come back in (as it does with ALL other unobstructed dune lakes). Without gulf water, the lake is showing more freshwater traits, as can be seen on monthly CBA water quality charts. Interestingly, I believe the CBA has monitored Eastern Lake longer than any other, so the data seems fairly indicative of a changing habitat...
The problem is, sand on the beach is higher than both the lake AND the gulf, a situation that is neither natural or ideal. If you will recall, the 3 or 4 feet of sand there now WAS NOT there in 2002, so the lake behaved as it should.

Here is a pic from November 14 showing a trench dug by the county, which opened a few days later after a rain event. At that time, the outfall was at least 50 feet from the Gulf, perhaps as much as 80 feet...



In my opinion, just because the lake opens regularly doesn't mean it's healthy or natural. That's like saying there is no such thing as global warming because the flowers still bloom every Spring...

Maybe the expert, Mr CBA himself can chime in here. I don't think that Eastern Lake is unique because of its lack of having Gulf water wash into it. I see similar patterns with several other Lakes, such as Alligator, Little Redfish, and Big Redfish, to name a few. There was not sand added at those beaches, but the lack of salt water washing in is more rare, than common. Salinity levels in Big Redfish have been less than 2% for some time now. The lake levels are just higher than the Gulf level. When we get big storms come through, the salt water comes in, but that seems to be the only time. I wouldn't say that Western Lake has been far off of that pattern either.