USA: Corps Seeks Comments on Flagler County Shoreline Study

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, has invited the public to attend a meeting and comment on the Flagler County, Fla., Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Project Draft Integrated Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment. An open comment period started yesterday and will end Feb. 17.

The Feb. 5 public meeting will start at 6 p.m. at the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center Training Room, 1769 E. Moody Building (Bldg. #3), Bunnell, Fla.

The study team, consisting of federal, state and local agency officials, assessed the feasibility of providing federal hurricane and storm damage reduction measures to portions of Flagler County’s shoreline. Shoreline erosion currently threatens oceanfront infrastructure, including National Scenic Highway SR A1A and both public and private structures. As the only north-south hurricane evacuation route for communities along the coastline, SR A1A is an integral part of the county’s infrastructure and is essential for public safety during evacuation events.

Opportunities to reduce the risk of coastal damages and improve conditions were examined and approximately 9.7 miles of coastline were investigated during the feasibility study process.

The Corps’ tentatively selected plan (TSP) will provide additional armoring and protection of SR A1A. The TSP consists of a 10-foot seaward extension of the existing dune along 2.6 miles between Florida Department of Environmental Protection monuments R80 and R94 (7th to 28th streets) in central Flagler Beach. Construction of the dune extension will extend the existing berm and the entire active profile seaward.

“After construction, we anticipate renourishement events would occur every 11 years to fix eroded areas,” said Corps Project Manager Jason Harrah. “We look forward to a continued partnership with the county to provide a project that benefits and protects the citizens of Flagler Beach.”

To build the berm, the Corps anticipates dredging sand from an offshore borrow site and pumping it onto the adjacent beach. “We anticipate that initial construction will cover some vegetation, but new vegetation, similar to the existing foliage, will be planted following construction completion,” Harrah said.

“This is our tentatively selected plan, but we also want to hear from the public, and other federal, state and local agencies,” he said.

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Press Release, January 28, 2014