Resolution 001-1980
RESOLTUION i~
1-1980
WHEREAS, the BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS of MONROE
County, Florida, has received an application from Irene Miska,
to:
Place 200 1in. feet of riprap of MHW for shoreline protection,
fill approximately 1500 sq. ft. of a dead-end basin with approximately
200 cubic yards of fill, dredge approximately 2700 sq. ft. of
baybottom to _3' MLW and construct 115 1. f. of 4' wide boardwalk
over a section of riprap.
A drag line would be used for the excavation and to place fill and
riprap. An auger truck would be used for placing piles. All
materials and equipment have access to the sites over existing
uplands. The construction area will be isolated from open waters
by turbidity screens until after completion of the work.
The project site is on the bayside of Marathon in an area of
intense commercial and residential development adjacent to U.S. 1.
To the west are a vanety of commercial and residential shoreline
developments including motels, seafood houses, marinas, etc. Shoreline
alterations include seawalls, boat basins, jetties, etc. To the east
are additional residential areas with riprap and seawall shorelines.
Numerous shoreline discontinuities are found nearby. Development
locally is near 100% of available property.
The project site is in and around a dead-end basin that measures
about 50' wide x 100' long. Its orientation is to the north. The
west side of the basin is a rock and concrete spit that separates
this basin from an adjacent one. This shoreline is riprap and poured
concrete. The head of the basin has been filled with rock rubble
and the east side is an eroding, natural 1imerock escarpment that
continues around the adjacent point to the east.
Depths at the head of the basin are from -1 to -2' MLW and bottoms
consist of silt and organic debris over rock and rock rubble. This
bottom condition is due to the accumulation of wind blown floating
debris during periods of northwinds and the lack of circulation in
this dead-end. This condition exists for about the southernmost
40' of the basin. The remainder of the basin is vegetated with a
variety of benthic algae (Udotea, Halimeda, Gau1erpa, Laurencia,
Dictyota, etc.) attached to rock rubble and rooted in the several
inches of sediment overlying the rock and rubble substrate. This
northerly half of the basin is about -2.5' MLW in depth throughout
most of the interior and slopes up on both sides to the rock shore-
lines. Found here also are numerous ups ide down jellyfish, Ge.ssiopeia.
As one proceeds north from the interior of the basin bottom
conditions and overlying water quality improves. Offshore depths
gradually deepen to -3 and _4' MLW, the bottom remains rocky with
this overlying sediment and vegetation consists of various attached
algae and turtle grass (Thalassiatestudinum) where adequate sediments
exist.
The subtidal rocky shorelines around the basin are vegetated by algae
and there is a small stand of red mangroves remaining in the S.E.
corner of the basin. The natural escarpment around the basin to the
east is eroded and has been undercut by-wave action in many places.
Vegetation along the base of this escarpment consists of various
algae and some turtle grass.
The algae communities alluded to serve a similar function as to the
seagrasses in stabilizing sediments, providing food and shelter for
small crustaceans, po1ychaetes, molluscs and juvenile fishes and in
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APPROVED ON
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filtering the overlying water column of suspended particles. Fishes
observed and those expected to commonly occur in the project site
include: snappers (Lutjanidae), grunts (Pomadasyidae), pinfish
(La~odon rhomboides), needlefish (Belonidae), silversides
(At erinidae), barracuda (Sphyraenidae) and mojarras (Gerreidae).
No significant shoreline or upland vegetation exists on the site.
The area proposed to be filled is presently a debris trap (especially
in the winter) with no significant benthic communities due to the
poor condition of the bottom sediments. Filling here will only be
moving the trap further out but here it will be more subject to
physical forces of the open-water bay system which may reduce the
negative effects of the dead-end arrangement.
Dredging in the proposed area will remove existing bottom communities
and sediments while scraping into hard rock to obtain the desired
depth. Bottom discontinuities would be created with adjacent near-
shore shallow waters and the sediments that will eventually fill into
the dredged area will be unsuitable for the re-establishment of
vegetation and accompanying organisms, due to the restricted nature
of the basin. As existin? depths throughout much of the basin interior
are currently -2.5 to -3 MLW, the need for -3' MLW throughout is not
clearly understood.
The placement of riprap along the east shoreline will eliminate
erosion to the applicant's uplands and provide valuable habitat in
the subtidal areas. The construction of a shoreline dock will have no
adverse environmental impact on the local area.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, by the BOAP~ of COUNTY C01~1ISSIONERS
of MONROE County, Florida, that said BOARD hereby given its approval
for the construction of the above mentioned project.
RESOLVED this ~day of January, 1980, at a Regularly
scheduled Meeting.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MONROE COUNT , FLORIDA
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BY
ATTEST:
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