By Rachel Kyler The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a notice of intent to grant Walton County permission for the opening of three coastal dune lakes. ?I think that this is a really big issue for the county,? said Phillip Ellis, Coastal Dune Lakes Program coordinator for the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance. The Coastal Dune Lakes are rare bodies of water that connect to the Gulf Mexico through meandering outfalls. Generally, when the lakes reach a certain level the outfalls break open. However, some of the outfalls have been blocked by storm debris. At different times over the last several years, the county had to pursue emergency permits to open the lakes. In late 2002, the county began pursuing long-standing permits for the opening of Alligator, Eastern, Oyster and Western Lake after reaching mandated trigger points. The trigger elevations are based on flooding of septic tanks and habitable structures, explained Stephanie Benedetti, Walton County permit specialist. FDEP has 30 days to finalize the permits, which also have to be approved by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. ?We?re hoping the Corp isn?t going to slow anything,? Benedetti said. The FDEP did not include Oyster Lake in the permitting process because of an ongoing legal battle with property owners who own the area surrounding the lake?s outfall. The county has easements for the three other listed lakes. ?Private property is a big headache for the county and will be a bigger headache in the future,? Ellis said. Ellis is concerned the decision could set a precedent for management of the other coastal lakes. ?All things being equal, we want to manage those in natural conditions,? he said. As the county moves forward, officials need to ?really look at the strategy,? including incentives for property owners or looking at purchasing some of property, Ellis said. He explained the lakes have been around for thousands of years and anecdotal stories from the past 50 years is the only information available. After experiences with opening Lake Powell, resident and Vice Chair of the Lake Powell Community Alliance Emily Ellis is torn about the effects of manually opening the lakes. ?It would be really nice if we could leave it to nature?s devices,? she said. ?(But) we?re at the point now we?re willing to experiment with some things.? Developments were built on the lake during times the lake was at lower levels. Now when the lake reaches certain level, it floods the properties if it?s not opened, she said. In 1995, permit issued to state park to open at an arbitrary level, posing some problems, Ellis said. ?Locals would dig it up on their own,? she said. The FDEP will carefully monitor these newly permitted lakes. Benedetti said. Their mission is twofold. In addition to preserving private structures, ?They?re making sure to protect the lakes at the same time,? she said.
