Seeking Your Input on Coastal Dune Lakes

[Beauford]

The Walton County Environmental Department is pleased to announce that the Coastal Dune Lake Environmental Assessment has been received by Jones Edmunds.

The report can be found at the following link: CDL Environmental Assessment<https://www.co.walton.fl.us/DocumentCenter/View/30753/2018_CoastalDuneLakes_EnvironmentalAssessment>.

Environmental Department Staff are soliciting public comments on the report until close of business on Friday, August 23, 2018.

All comments should be sent to Melinda Gates, Coastal Resource Liaison, at gatmelinda@co.walton.fl.us

About the Lakes

Walton County is home to 15 named coastal dune lakes along 26 miles of coastline. These lakes are a unique geographical feature and are only found in Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand, Oregon, and here in Walton County.

Our coastal dune lakes share an intermittent connection with the Gulf of Mexico. The lake water is fed by streams, groundwater seepage, rain, and storm surge. The connection with the Gulf, called an outfall, is a flood control and pours lake water into the Gulf as needed.

Salt water and organisms flow back into the lake, depending on tides and weather. Each lake's outfall and chemistry is different. Water conditions between lakes can vary greatly, from completely fresh to significantly saline.

 

[Dreamer]

South Walton needs a mandatory sewer connection for all the homes still on septic. During heavy rains and heavy tourist traffic in homes that sleep 20 plus that are still on septic along the lakes and the gulf, the water quality is Poor. This is usually during June & July. Believe me, our entire family became violently ill about 5 yrs. ago. Even my poor 2 yr old granddaughter. It was from poor water quality in Western Lake & the gulf. E-Coli.

 

[Jim Tucker]

Agree. All. Fertilizer and pesticides should also be banned on the lakefront lots

 

[Emerald Drifter]

1. Install, if not already installed, remote water quality monitoring systems. Even better, something with radio/cellular that can report up to the minute results. Water Quality Monitoring System This is accomplished by the power company now with those heinous "smart meters" on the side of your house.
   
2. To cover the cost of the remote monitoring systems, add the collective cost onto qualified properties that are lake front. For at least the first year, this cost will be on all qualified properties, septic and county sewer. Identify properties that are not sewer. This will put the pressure on from neighbors (who want to be exempt) for those still on septic to get on sewer. After 2-3 years, those on sewer are exempt from water monitoring costs, and all costs for monitoring will fall on those who still refuse to go from septic to sewer.
   
3. Tax break to those in CDL zone who have or convert back to the natural landscape, which should not need pesticides or fertilizer.
   
4. $5000 annual fee for permit to any landscaping company to perform work on properties within CDL zone, even mowing grass or weed eating. $5000 fine per incident for any landscaping company that performs work in the CDL zone without permit (including Friday evening and Sundays which seems to be the times when the bad jobs get done )

Rough ideas, but we have to get out in front of this now. Throughout history, when humans increase in numbers in a given location, nature loses.