Walton County completes coastal dune lake protection plan

Walton County officials came together Tuesday afternoon with engineers and contractors to complete the closure of the last coastal dune lake that would be at risk if oil reaches the Walton County shoreline.

Representatives from the Board of County Commissioners, Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Walton County Tourist Development Council, engineering firm Preble-Rish, Inc. and contractor C.W. Roberts arrived on site to ensure proper closure of Camp Creek coastal dune lake.

“Public Works really stepped up and led the charge to implement the dune lake protection plan,” said County Commissioner Kenneth Pridgen. “Due largely to their efforts, we were able to move this project forward from permitting to completion in just a few short days.”

For pictures of the work, click here.

For photos of the completed project, click here.

The county received the necessary permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to initiate the Coastal Dune Lake Protection Plan earlier this week, and contractors began stockpiling sand to close the dune lakes and re-contour lake outfalls to prevent oil from entering the lakes in the event of increased wave action in the Gulf of Mexico.

“The coastal dune lakes are an environmental treasure unique to our community, and it has been a priority from day one to protect them,” said Captain Mike Barker of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. “We continue to coordinate protection and response efforts with the County and the TDC, and I’m confident our community is prepared for any potential impacts.”

As part of the Coastal Dune Lake Protection Plan, C.W. Roberts crews have closed eleven of the fifteen coastal dune lakes.

The remaining four were closed using booms and the additional sand was not needed. Crews have used ten thousand cubic yards of sand to protect the lakes that were identified at risk. These lakes will be closely monitored by the Walton County Public Works Department, its contractors and engineers.

They will be reopened when needed to prevent lake flooding. In addition, the Sheriff’s Office, Walton County Walton Tourist Development Council and South Walton Fire District will be monitoring the coastline with trained personnel to quickly respond and assist with any oil-related incidents along the 26 miles of beach.

“The fact that this project was completed so quickly and effectively is testament to the collaborative efforts of the Sheriff’s Office, County Commissioners and staff and the Tourist Development Council (TDC),” said Dawn Moliterno, executive director of the TDC. “We commend all of the workers who finished this critical project in such a short time.”

Beaches of South Walton is home to the largest concentration of rare coastal dune lakes in the world. These 15 lakes have been identified as globally rare and imperiled by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI). Similar ecosystems can only be found in the Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand and the Northwest Pacific Coast of the United States. They are characterized by the intermittent nature of their connection to the gulf. When the water level, through rain or other inflow, reaches a certain critical height, the lake will "blow out" and release its water into the Gulf.

At that point, sea water may enter to create an estuary. After the lake water level subsides, the connection to the Gulf will disappear until the lake is ready to discharge once more. These fragile ecosystems are an important source of freshwater to migrating birds and other beach organisms.

The beaches remain open. County officials continue to monitor the situation and stay in constant contact with regional, state and federal officials including the U.S. Coast Guard.

Volunteers are encouraged to call 1-866-647-2338, for information on volunteer efforts.

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