Positive News for Walton County Beach Nourishment Project

[SoWal Staff]

The Walton County Tourist Development Council (WCTDC) is pleased to announce Congressional Authorization for construction of the Walton County Hurricane & Storm Damage Reduction Project (Walton County HSDR) in the 2014 Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). In a 91-7 vote last week, the U.S Senate approved the 2014 WRRDA bill and submitted it to the President for his signature. The bipartisan bill was approved earlier this week with a 412-4 vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Walton County HSDR project is an 18.8 mile long, Federal beach and dune restoration project that is designed to provide hurricane and storm damage protection to upland areas along the Walton County shoreline. The project has five phases and was initiated in 2002 with Congressional Authorization to conduct a Reconnaissance Study. The other four phases are a Feasibility Study, Pre-Construction Engineering and Design, Construction, and Monitoring. Currently, the project is in the Pre-Construction Engineering and Design Phase, which includes all steps necessary to prepare the project to be bid for Construction. Click here for the full release.

For more information, the WCTDC will be hosting a public workshop on June 3 at 6 p.m. at the WCTDC Conference Room, and monthly updates are provided at www.protectwaltoncountybeaches.com.

 

[lenzoe]

The project does maximize dune toe protection but the construction template varies based on where you are. The dunes will be built to tie-into the existing dunes and in no place in Blue Mountain will the project extend pass the second sand bar. It ends where it says "Construction toe." The dune are the three lines at the back of the drawing.

The project's purpose is hurricane & storm damage reduction so areas at higher risk/less protection will get more sand to decrease risk and increase protection. The project will likely take over a year to build, but it's too early to narrow it done more than that right now. All project timing is dependent on securing construction easements, permitting challenges and federal funding.

BTW, the project is slightly under 19 miles, not 19+.

Thanks!

Thanks for the info. I have a couple of questions if you could answer them since you seem knowledgeable. I wish I could attend the info sessions, but I can't.

1) Where there are exising public walkways, will the current walkways be extended to climb up and over the new dunes, or are they leaving gaps in the dunes at the existing walkways. Same question for private walkways -- wil the owners need to extend them over the new dunes or will there be gaps all over the place?

2) On the USACE presentation slides (April 1, 2014), what is the "Equilibrium TOE" line out in the water?

3) Are there any higher resolution images showing the placement of the new dunes, construction lines, etc. at specific locations?

4) When construction begins, will the construction proceed west to east, east to west, or some other sequence?

5) Are the public info sessions recorded or streamed? Would really be interested in hearing more about this.

Thanks.

 

[steel1man]

Thanks for the info. I have a couple of questions if you could answer them since you seem knowledgeable. I wish I could attend the info sessions, but I can't. 1) Where there are exising public walkways, will the current walkways be extended to climb up and over the new dunes, or are they leaving gaps in the dunes at the existing walkways. Same question for private walkways -- wil the owners need to extend them over the new dunes or will there be gaps all over the place? 2) On the USACE presentation slides (April 1, 2014), what is the "Equilibrium TOE" line out in the water? 3) Are there any higher resolution images showing the placement of the new dunes, construction lines, etc. at specific locations? 4) When construction begins, will the construction proceed west to east, east to west, or some other sequence? 5) Are the public info sessions recorded or streamed? Would really be interested in hearing more about this. Thanks.

Great Questions

 

[BeachSiO2]

Here you go:

1. The goal is to build the dunes with no gaps as every gap leads to less hurricane & storm damage reduction value. Where possible, only the seaward toe will be buried so that its only fewer number of steps to the beach as was done in the Western Walton County Project in 2006. Walton County will adjust the public walkovers as necessary. The project does not include any funding to extend private walkovers and that will be an owners responsibility.

2. The equilibrium toe is the location at which no sand moves under normal wave conditions. In short, it is the area that over a number of years sand will slowly move into and repair. The offshore areas are the slowest to recover after storm events. Sand will be placed only to the area marked construction toe.

3. Not at this time as the documents needed to be condensed for downloading. We are working to put digital files on the website that can be accessed through Google Maps. If you have a specific need, please let us know through the "Ask Our Expert" on the main page of www.protectwaltoncountybeaches.com.

4. Unknown at this time.

5. No, they aren't but the same information is covered at Beach Management Committee Meetings at 2pm on the first Monday of the month if afternoon works better. Also, any information presented or given out is posted on the website following the workshops.

Please let me know if I can help further. However, I will respond more quickly to the "Ask our Expert" section of the website as it comes directly to my email and we use it to insure and document our responsiveness.

Thanks!

Thanks for the info. I have a couple of questions if you could answer them since you seem knowledgeable. I wish I could attend the info sessions, but I can't.

1) Where there are exising public walkways, will the current walkways be extended to climb up and over the new dunes, or are they leaving gaps in the dunes at the existing walkways. Same question for private walkways -- wil the owners need to extend them over the new dunes or will there be gaps all over the place?

2) On the USACE presentation slides (April 1, 2014), what is the "Equilibrium TOE" line out in the water?

3) Are there any higher resolution images showing the placement of the new dunes, construction lines, etc. at specific locations?

4) When construction begins, will the construction proceed west to east, east to west, or some other sequence?

5) Are the public info sessions recorded or streamed? Would really be interested in hearing more about this.

Thanks.

 

[steel1man]

The Walton County Tourist Development Council (WCTDC) is pleased to announce Congressional Authorization for construction of the Walton County Hurricane & Storm Damage Reduction Project (Walton County HSDR) in the 2014 Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). In a 91-7 vote last week, the U.S Senate approved the 2014 WRRDA bill and submitted it to the President for his signature. The bipartisan bill was approved earlier this week with a 412-4 vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Walton County HSDR project is an 18.8 mile long, Federal beach and dune restoration project that is designed to provide hurricane and storm damage protection to upland areas along the Walton County shoreline. The project has five phases and was initiated in 2002 with Congressional Authorization to conduct a Reconnaissance Study. The other four phases are a Feasibility Study, Pre-Construction Engineering and Design, Construction, and Monitoring. Currently, the project is in the Pre-Construction Engineering and Design Phase, which includes all steps necessary to prepare the project to be bid for Construction. Click here for the full release. For more information, the WCTDC will be hosting a public workshop on June 3 at 6 p.m. at the WCTDC Conference Room, and monthly updates are provided at www.protectwaltoncountybeaches.com.

Where is: For more information, the WCTDC will be hosting a public workshop on June 3 at 6 p.m. at the WCTDC conference room?

 

[MarvinGardens]

I went to the meeting last night with no real ax to grind. Just curious, more than anything. I would like to give a public shout-out to Jim Bagby and Brad Pickel for running an informative and interesting meeting. They both have more patience than I every thought possible.

 

[Andy A]

I went to the meeting last night with no real ax to grind. Just curious, more than anything. I would like to give a public shout-out to Jim Bagby and Brad Pickel for running an informative and interesting meeting. They both have more patience than I every thought possible.

You are absolutely right!! Kudos should be given to both Brad and Jim for their forthright and informative presentation and I certainly give them such. Some of the attitudes and questions posed by attendees defy discription. The "cool" displayed by both gentlemen was, indeed, something to behold.

 

[steel1man]

I went to the meeting last night with no real ax to grind. Just curious, more than anything. I would like to give a public shout-out to Jim Bagby and Brad Pickel for running an informative and interesting meeting. They both have more patience than I every thought possible.

DITTO marvingardens. I too watch as those two guys where bombarded. I always thought they where restoring beaches washed away by storms over the years. Which means taking it back to where some of these people bought say 30 yrs ago. Who spends 450k(supposedly )on their own sand dunes ??

 

[steel1man]

I went to the meeting last night with no real ax to grind. Just curious, more than anything. I would like to give a public shout-out to Jim Bagby and Brad Pickel for running an informative and interesting meeting. They both have more patience than I every thought possible.

hey, I never saw any minutes on 6/4/14 "arguing meeting " and also haven't heard any updates.. Early January 2015 is still the start date being passed around...when Is August meeting....

 

[Truman]

hey, I never saw any minutes on 6/4/14 "arguing meeting " and also haven't heard any updates.. Early January 2015 is still the start date being passed around...when Is August meeting....

On August 5th, the TDC is hosting another workshop from 6-8pm where the final easement language will be presented. The easement is being prepared for approval by the Walton County Board of County Commissioners in August.

For more information regarding Walton County’s Beach Nourishment efforts, visit http://www.protectwaltoncountybeaches.com.

[h=4]Walton County Hurricane & Storm Damage Reduction Project[/h][h=6]Current Project Update - July 2014[/h]In June, the President signed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act which included the Walton County Hurricane & Storm Damage Reduction Project, also known as the federal beach nourishment project. This completed the Feasibility Study phase and authorized the project for Construction. The next phase to be completed is the Preliminary Engineering and Design Phase that has been underway since late 2013.


The Preliminary Engineering and Design Phase (PED) includes all of the steps necessary to prepare the project for the next phase- Construction. There are two major components of the PED Phase:

1. Project Engineering, Design and State Permitting by the Mobile District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
2. Securing Construction Easements by Walton County, through the Walton County TDC

In addition, federal and non-federal funding will need to be secured prior to the construction of the project. Local funding will be provided through Tourist Occupancy Taxes (Bed Taxes) paid by short-term renters for lodging in Walton County.

Project Engineering, Design and State Permitting
In June, the Mobile District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) finalized the engineering and design of the project and submitted the state permit application to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The project has five reaches totaling 18.8 miles and they are:
Reach 1- The Western Walton County Project area (Okaloosa County Line to Topsail Hill State Preserve)
Reach 2- From Stallworth Lake through Blue Mountain Beach
Reach 3- Gulf Trace through western Grayton Beach
Reach 4- WaterColor to Deer Lake State Park
Reach 5- Seacrest to the Bay County Line

Title Search and Construction Easements

Walton County contracted with American Governmental Services (AGS) to perform title search services to identify property owners within the project reaches. AGS has completed all of the title search services. The next step is for the County, through the TDC, to pursue easements for construction of the project. Initial easement language was developed based on the model version provided by USACE- Mobile District. The language was presented to attendees of public workshops on December 3rd and February 4th, April 1st and June 3rd. Final revisions were made and a new version of the easement was made available on the project website below in late June. Please note that the easement for Reach 1 differs from the other reaches because it already has an Erosion Control Line established.