Resolution 173-19791
RESOLUTION # 173=1979
WHEREAS, the BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, of MONROE County,
Florida, approved an application for Charles Andrews to construct
170 linear feet of rip -rap seawall and maintenance dredging of an
area 100x20x12 feet, and
WHEREAS, the Department of Environmental Regulation pursuant
to Section 253.124 Florida Statutes, requires that before a State
Permit can be issued that a Biological Assessment made by DER be
read into the Minutes of the County Commission.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the following Biological
Assessment be read into the Minutes of the County Commission and
approved by that same body.
Applicant proposes to install 160' of boulder rip -rap along
eroded edge of small island which acts as protection for boat basin.
The rip -rap is to be placed at MLW line adjacent to active access
channel and backfilled with 100 c.y. of back fill. This island is
at the junction of an offshore access channel as well as the access
to the commercial boat basin. Applicant proposes to use conventional
backhoe to dredge the channel to -3.5' MLW. This spoil will be
placed landward of the concrete -bonded boulders of the rip -rapped
shore of the island. As the island is separated from the mainland
by tide flats, it appears that rip -rap and backhoe will be brought
to the site by barge.
The existing access channel traverses 3/4+ mile of tide flats, some-
times exposed at extreme low tides. The main access channel splits
into six(6) boat access channels when within a few hundred yards of
the numerous boat basins along this ocean side of Windley Key. These
basins are for both private and commercial establishments. Most of
the oceanside upland of Windley Key is developed for fish camps,
motels and private residences. Vegetation ranges from transplanted
ornamentals to wetlands through transitional to uplands.
The boat basin at this project is over -5' MLW and the access channel
beyond the project site averages -3.4' MLW at the time of inspection,
which was just prior to low slack tide. Vegetation in the channel
beyond project site is 5% to 10% vegetated with red, brown, and green
algae and scattered individual Thalassia plants. Dip samples in the
sand. -shell fragment bottom revealed no invertebrate other than a
S" Queen Conch, numerous CaEdLopea, and detached sponges---three(3)
schools of 1" immature fishes, a dozen pilchards and one puffer fish.
Several detached hard corals were observed in scattered depressions
in the channel, which were also full of detached brown, red and green
algae.
Vegetation between MLW and MHW on the island consisted of 20 red
mangrove and 9 black mangrove seedlings. Submerged vegetation was
Batophora sp., Halimeda spp., Penicillus spp., Avrainvillea spp.,
and Caulerpa spp. The bottom in this zone was firm, small coral
stones and rock up to 3' in diameter.
The bottom in the adjacent channel was 1" to 4" of silt over what
felt to be solid rock. Depths, measured just prior to slack low
tide, were -2.5' to 3.0'. Vegetation covered 55% of this channel
bottom, and consisted of Halimeda spp., Caulerpa spp., Penicillus
spp., Avrainvillea sp. and patches of Thalassia.
APPROVED ON-
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BOOK \-� I PAGE
Fishes observed were: Schoolmasters, Sargent majors, damsel
fish and Tang. One fiddler crab was noted among the stones of the
island which has an established population of red and black mangroves
on the side opposite the project site and adjacent to tidal flats.
The baybottom adjacent to the island, upon which the applicant
proposes to construct the boulder rip -rap, is solid and firm, while
the contiguous channel is soft silt.
Some of the impact of this project will depend upon whether the
applicant will have to use explosives to remove the rock in the
project area, or whether the backhoe can scrape off enough to achieve
a depth sufficient to protect the propellors of the boats using the
boat basin.
Turbidity may be damaging to adjacent tidal flats, unless all
turbidity -creating activity is confined to slack tide, as currents
across the flats and in these man-made channels is very strong at
other times.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, by the Board of County Commissioners
of Monroe County, Florida, that said Board hereby gives its approval
for the construction of the above mentioned work.
RESOLVED, this
14th day of August
Regularly scheduled Meeting.
ATTEST:
�1 erk-
, 1979, at a
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MONROE COUNTY, ORIDA
AL
Chairipan