Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
CHAPTER 6 - PLAN AREA
The FDEP is seeking Federal incidental take coverage for activities it permits through its CCCL
program, as well activities it authorizes under Chapter 161.052, F.S. This chapter describes the Plan
Area, the area within which incidental take coverage is being requested, and characterizes its physical,
natural, and human dimensions. It is divided into the following four sections:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Geographic Boundaries.
Plan Area Climate & Natural Resources.
The Human Dimension.
Plan Area Physical Characterization.
Geographic Boundaries
A requirement for development of an HCP is that the geographic boundaries within which take
authorization is being requested are clearly identified. The CCCL program regulates activities on the
sandy beaches and dunes between the CCCL and the MHWL. Activities below the MHWL are typically
regulated through the FDEP JCP program. Based on this regulatory structure, the landward and seaward
boundaries of the Plan Area are the CCCL and the MHWL, respectively. In Monroe County, a nonCCCL county where 161.052 activities are permitted, the Plan Area extends from the shoreline 15 m (50
ft) landward along those portions of the coast that have been designated by the FDEP as critically
eroded.
It should be emphasized that Plan Area boundaries are dynamic terms rather than static, as the position
of the shoreline is likely to change over the 25-year term of the ITP. This will preclude the need for
changes to a defined geographical boundary each time the FDEP re-evaluates the CCCL position to
account for natural (e.g., hurricanes) and anthropogenic (e.g., beach nourishment) factors, including sea
level rise.
Plan Regions
Because of the large geographic scope of the Plan Area and the diversity of Florida’s coastal landscapes,
the Plan Area has been divided into four FBHCP Regions: Northeast, Southeast, Gulf, and Panhandle
(Table 6-1). These regions are based on biogeographic criteria (e.g., sea turtle nesting densities,
geographic similarities, and other species-specific criteria).When plan differentiation among smaller
units is needed, decisions would be made according to county boundaries using the FDEP R-monument
stem. The range or r-monuments is a statewide network of survey developed by FDEP for all of the
state's sandy beach shoreline Using county boundaries along with the FDEP R-monument system
makes sense for the FBHCP, since FDEP uses these boundaries in their CCCL data collection and permi
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\Table 6-1. FBHCP Regions with Counties.
Panhandle
Gulf
Southeast
Northeast
ESCAMBIA
PINELLAS
BREVARD
NASSAU
SANTA ROSA MANATEE INDIAN RIVER
DUVAL
OKALOOSA
SARASOTA
ST. LUCIE
ST. JOHNS
WALTON
CHARLOTTE
MARTIN
FLAGLER
BAY
LEE
PALM BEACH VOLUSIA
GULF
COLLIER
BROWARD
FRANKLIN
MIAMI-DADE
Geographical Extent of Plan Area
The tables and figures below describe the Plan area on a county and regional basis. Figure 6-1 identifies
which coastal counties within Florida have established CCCLs and outlines the boundaries of the four
plan regions. Table 6-2 tabulates the acreage and linear feet of shoreline within the Plan Area.
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Figure 6-1. Coastal Construction Control Lines for Florida
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Table 6-2. Miles of Shoreline and Acres within FBHCP Plan Area per County and Region.
Region
County
Panhandle
Gulf
Southeast
Northeast
NASSAU
DUVAL
ST. JOHNS
FLAGLER
VOLUSIA
Total Northeast Region
BREVARD
INDIAN RIVER
ST. LUCIE
MARTIN
PALM BEACH
BROWARD
MIAMI DADE
Total Southeast Region
MONROE
COLLIER
LEE
CHARLOTTE
SARASOTA
MANATEE
PINELLAS
Total Gulf Region
FRANKLIN
GULF
BAY
WALTON
OKALOOSA
SANTA ROSA
ESCAMBIA
Total Panhandle Region
Total Plan Area
Linear Miles
Within
County
15
16
42
18
42
133
84
22
22
16
45
24
24
237
13
39
49
12
34
13
42
202
57
33
44
25
25
7
37
228
800
Linear Miles
Within Plan
Area
15
16
42
18
42
133
40
22
22
16
45
24
22
191
13
28
49
12
34
13
36
185
47
31
27
25
11
4
37
182
691
Acres
Within Plan
Area
619
988
1,684
534
1,563
5,388
1,801
834
901
627
1,455
767
1,134
7,519
80
2,080
3,238
689
1,851
736
2,362
11,036
2,556
1,913
1,181
828
439
185
1,555
8,157
32,100
Figures 6-2(a-d) below identify incorporated municipalities within or adjacent to the Plan Area for each
HCP Region.
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Figure 6-2a. Municipalities adjacent to the CCCL within the Panhandle Region
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Figure 6-2b. Municipalities adjacent to the CCCL within the Gulf Region
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Figure 6-2c. Municipalities adjacent to the CCCL within the Southeast Region
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Figure 6-2d. Municipalities adjacent to the CCCL within the Northeast Region
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Plan Area Climate and Natural Resources
Much of the general information on Florida’s climate presented in this chapter was obtained from the
Florida State University (FSU) website (accessed 6/5/13):
http://coaps.fsu.edu/climate_center/specials/climateofflorida.pdf
FSU researchers compiled and summarized data gleaned from the National Climatic Data Center
(NCDC). The NCDC maintains records for individual weather stations around the country, and there
are typically multiple stations within each county.
Historical data presented for each county in the tables that follow was obtained from the FloridaSmart
and FloridaNetLink websites (accessed 6/5/13):
http://www.floridasmart.com/local/counties/index.htm
http://www.floridanetlink.com
As for the general information, no metadata were provided to indicate the inclusive years from which
the data were compiled or the location and/or number of stations analyzed within each county.
Climate
Florida's mild, sunny climate is one of its most important natural resources, making the state a major
tourist destination and an attractive retirement home for millions. North and central Florida lie within
the extreme southern portion of the Northern Hemisphere’s humid subtropical climate zone, noted for its
long, hot, and humid summers and mild and wet winters. The southernmost portion of the state has a
tropical climate. A defined rainy season exists from June through September, during which tropical
cyclones are prevalent. The chief factors governing Florida’s climate are latitude, land configuration (a
peninsula), prevailing winds, storms, pressure systems, and ocean currents in adjacent water bodies
(Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico).
Temperature
The long-term (1900-2011) mean temperature for the state is 23.0oC (73.4oF) with an inter-annual
variability of 1.16oF, due primarily to year-to-year differences in the severity of the winter season (N.
Smith, Indian River State College, personal communication 2013). Mean temperatures during Florida’s
coldest month (January) range from the lower 50s in the north to the upper 60s in the south. The record
low for Florida was set in February 1899 when Tallahassee recorded a temperature of 17.7ºC (-2°F).
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During the warmest months (July and August), average maximum temperatures are relatively uniform
throughout the state, ranging from 27.2ºC to 28.3ºC (81.0º F to 83.0°F). The record high temperature,
42.8ºC (109.0°F), was registered at Monticello (Jefferson County) in June 1931.
During the winter, daily maximum temperatures throughout Florida are mild compared to those of
northern states. In north Florida, the average daily high temperature during January is about 18.3ºC
(65.0°F), while south of Lake Okeechobee, it is approximately 24.4ºC (75.9°F). The Atlantic Ocean and
the Gulf of Mexico, and to a lesser extent Lake Okeechobee, are the principal forces moderating the
state’s temperatures during all seasons, but particularly in the winter. To illustrate these effects, a
summer example can be used. Temperatures above 37.8ºC (100.0ºF) are rare in Florida because of the
modifying effects of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean (Winsberg 2003). In one analysis,
Winsberg found that along the Atlantic and Panhandle coasts, there were 100 or fewer days during
which average maximum temperatures reached at least 31.1ºC (88.0ºF), while further inland that number
increased to 150 days or more.
Maximum temperatures in the winter on the peninsula, particularly the southern half, tend to be slightly
warmer on the Atlantic coast than on the Gulf coast because of prevailing easterly winds. Those winds
passing over the relatively warm Gulf Stream in the Atlantic moderate temperatures along the east coast.
As the winds continue westward over the peninsula, heat is lost and air temperatures cool. Occasional
reversals of wind direction alter this pattern.
During the winter, North Florida is occasionally invaded by massive cold fronts that originate far to the
north and are capable of bringing intense cold to the state. However, as these air masses move south
they tend to be moderated significantly by the relatively warm waters of the Atlantic and Gulf of
Mexico. Nonetheless, temperatures approaching -6.7ºC (20.0ºF) have been recorded in the Everglades
south of Lake Okeechobee.
Historical data indicate that average January temperatures vary considerably among regions within the
Plan Area (Table 6-3). The coolest region is the Panhandle with average January temperatures in the
seven counties comprising the region ranging from 10.8ºC to 12.1ºC (51.4oF to 53.8oF). The Northeast
Region is the second coolest with average temperatures ranging from 12.9ºC to 15.2ºC (55.2 oF to
59.3oF). Counties in the Southeast region have the warmest average January temperatures, ranging from
17.4ºC to 20.3ºC (63.4oF to 68.6oF). The lowest average temperature during January (10.8ºC; 51.4oF)
occurred in Okaloosa County (Panhandle Region), while the highest (21.1ºC; 69.9 oF) was documented
in Monroe County (Gulf Region).
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Table 6-3. Historical mean winter (January) and summer (August) air
temperatures and annual rainfall for counties within the Plan Area.
(Sources did not provide inclusive years of data analyzed.)
Region
County
Panhandle
Gulf
Southeast
Northeast
NASSAU
DUVAL
ST JOHNS
FLAGLER
VOLUSIA
Total Northeast Region
BREVARD
INDIAN RIVER
ST LUCIE
MARTIN
PALM BEACH
BROWARD
MIAMI-DADE
Total Southeast Region
MONROE
COLLIER
LEE
CHARLOTTE
SARASOTA
MANATEE
PINELLAS
Total Gulf Region
FRANKLIN
GULF
BAY
WALTON
OKALOOSA
SANTA ROSA
ESCAMBIA
Total Panhandle Region
January Mean
Temperature
(oF)
55.6
55.2
57.1
58.6
59.3
57.2
68.6
63.4
65.1
65.1
67.2
68.6
67.9
66.6
69.9
67.8
63.8
64.0
61.5
61.5
62.1
64.4
53.7
53.7
53.2
52.8
51.4
53.8
53.1
53.1
August Mean
Temperature
(oF)
81.5
81.4
80.7
81.6
81.5
81.3
82.0
81.3
81.8
81.8
81.7
82.0
82.1
81.8
83.6
82.4
81.5
81.9
80.1
81.2
82.7
81.9
81.7
81.7
81.9
80.8
80.3
80.5
80.9
81.1
Mean Annual
Rainfall (inches)
48.5
58.2
48.3
50.7
53.4
51.8
65.2
52.8
49.8
49.8
59.4
65.2
57.8
57.1
38.0
51.4
52.4
52.6
57.1
54.6
54.5
51.5
58.4
58.4
57.9
65.7
63.7
58.9
58.6
60.2
Sources: http://www.floridasmart.com/local/counties/index.htm (Accessed 6/5/13)
http://www.floridanetlink.com/floridacounties.php (Accessed 6/5/13)
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Average maximum temperatures in Florida begin to rise in April, first in the interior portion of the
peninsula and then spread outward toward the coasts as spring progresses. Average maximum
temperatures rise above 31.1ºC (88.0°F) on the west coast during May and along most of the east coast
in June. Average temperatures in August are fairly consistent among regions within the Plan Area,
ranging from 26.7ºC (80.1oF) in Sarasota County to 28.7ºC (83.6oF) in Monroe County (Table 6-3). Sea
breezes, which are prevalent during the summer, help moderate temperatures along the coast. At times,
easterly trade winds may advance sea breezes more than 25 miles into the interior of the peninsula. This
cooling effect appears to be largely restricted to the Atlantic Coast, the western part of the Panhandle,
and perhaps the Big Bend area (N. Smith, Indian River State College, personal communication 2013).
An examination of Florida’s long-term trends in mean average temperature and precipitation provides
no indication of global warming (Winsberg 2003). Similarly, data from the Florida Climate Center do
not indicate statistically significant long-term trends for either annual average temperature or
precipitation during the period from 1895-2012 (N. Smith, Indian River State College, personal
communication 2013). Thus, Florida’s relatively stable average temperatures represent part of the
scatter about the global average, which is trending upwards, but are not contributing to the rate of global
warming.
Precipitation
Florida is second only to Louisiana among all states in the nation in the amount of rainfall it receives
each year. On average, approximately 137.2 cm (54 in) of precipitation are recorded annually, although
there is considerable variability. Annual averages generally vary between 102-114 cm (40-45 in) during
dry years and 165-178 cm (65-70 in) during wet years, with as much as 185 cm (73 in) falling during
very wet years (N. Smith, Indian River State College, personal communication 2013). Almost all
precipitation in the state is in the form of rain, although snow falls periodically, and on exceedingly rare
occasions has accumulated to a depth of several inches in North Florida.
Although there is a general perception that Florida has more rainy days than other states, this is not true.
Rather, it is the intensity of precipitation that differentiates Florida from other states. A surprisingly
large share of Florida’s precipitation falls during periods of torrential rain, which is defined as 7.6 cm
(3.0 in) or more within a 24-hour period. These events typically occur in the form of tropical storms,
which are prevalent during the summer. Most of these storms originate in the Atlantic or Gulf of
Mexico, and consequently the coasts receive a far larger share of their annual precipitation from these
storm events than does the interior. For example, along the Panhandle coast, torrential rains account for
about 17 percent of total annual rainfall, whereas in the center of the state that percentage falls to around
5-8 percent. The greatest amount of rainfall in Florida to be recorded during a 24-hour period occurred
on September 5, 1950 when a hurricane drenched the village of Yankeetown on the Big Bend coast with
98.3 cm (38.7 in) of rainfall.
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The Panhandle and southeastern Florida are the wettest parts of the state. The driest portions are the
Florida Keys and the barrier island beaches at Cape Canaveral. The Panhandle has two wet seasons, one
during the winter when cold fronts laden with rain pass through the area, the other in the summer when
convective rainfall occurs. Frontal precipitation plays an increasingly smaller role in its contribution to
total annual precipitation the farther south one goes down the peninsula. For example, the Panhandle
receives only half of its precipitation during the summer (May through August), whereas in Central
Florida that share increases to between 60-65 percent, and in the extreme southwestern peninsula,
convective rainfall accounts for 70 percent of total annual precipitation.
The fall dry season begins in north Florida in September and spreads south, arriving in extreme South
Florida in mid-November. Frontal rain normally begins to fall in north Florida in early November, and
seldom occurs after mid-April. South of Orlando, frontal rain in the quantities experienced in north
Florida is rare.
Florida’s summer rainy season normally begins in southeastern Florida in late April and then moves
northward. Summer rain is generally in the form of thunderstorms that often form in long squall lines
created when hot humid air from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico rises, and as the moisture condenses,
large cumulonimbus clouds are formed. These clouds typically begin forming during the morning,
bringing brief but often heavy periods of rainfall during the afternoon. Thunderstorms are often
accompanied by severe lighting. Florida experiences more lightning strikes than any other state in the
country. Lightning is the state's leading cause of weather-related deaths, and Florida has the distinction
of having the nation's worst record of deaths by lightning. According to the Oklahoma Climatological
Survey, the nation’s highest frequency of thunderstorms can be found in a narrow band running along
the west side of the Florida peninsula (www.mesonet.org, accessed 6/5/13).
Within the Plan Area, the Panhandle Region receives the greatest average annual rainfall ranging from
147.1 cm (57.9 in) in Bay County to 166.9 cm (65.7 in) in Walton County, which is the wettest county
overall (Table 6-3). The Southeast Region is the second wettest with average annual rainfall ranging
from 126.5 cm (49.8 in) in St. Lucie and Martin Counties to 165.6 cm (65.2 in) in Broward County.
Within the Northeast Region, St. Johns and Nassau Counties receive the smallest amounts of rain each
year, with averages of 122.7 cm (48.3 in) and 123.2 cm (48.5 in), respectively. The Gulf Region is the
driest region within the Plan Area, with Monroe County having the least amount of rainfall overall (96.5
cm; 38.0 in).
The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a physical phenomenon that occurs in the equatorial
Pacific Ocean whereby water temperatures oscillate between being unusually warm (El Niño) and
unusually cold (La Niña). El Niño and La Niña are among the strongest drivers of the climate of North
America, with impacts that vary across different regions. The southeastern United States experiences
particularly strong long-term weather shifts, with Florida feeling the greatest impacts. In winters when
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
an El Niño climate cycle exists, rainfall increases while temperatures are cooler statewide, although
there tend to be fewer freezes. El Niño also lessens the severity of tropical storms by creating stronger
than normal upper level wind shear which is unfavorable for tropical storm development.
Hurricanes and Tropical Storms
Tropical storms and hurricanes affecting the United States can originate in the Gulf of Mexico,
Caribbean Sea, or the Atlantic Ocean. When sustained wind velocity within a tropical system rises
above 73 miles per hour, it is reclassified from a tropical storm to a hurricane. As a result of its
peninsular coastline, Florida has been impacted by more storms than any other state in the country.
Since 1851, only 18 hurricane seasons have passed without a recorded storm making landfall anywhere
within the state.
In addition to producing extremely powerful winds and torrential rain, tropical storms are also able to
produce high waves and damaging storm surge, and can also spawn tornadoes. Hurricanes gain their
strength from warm water and are classified by intensity using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind
Scale: Category 1 being the weakest and Category 5 the strongest. The official hurricane season runs
from June through November each year. At the beginning and end of the season, hurricanes impacting
the state have been relatively weak, and often form in the Gulf and Caribbean. Stronger storms, which
are most prevalent during the peak of hurricane season (August through October) typically form in the
Atlantic.
Since 1851, 81 hurricanes have made initial landfall within the Plan Area (Table 6-4). In most cases the
storms enter on one coast and then diminish in intensity as they travel across the peninsula and exit on
the opposite coast. On occasion, storms may make a second landfall within the state. Additionally,
storms passing close to the coastline but not making landfall or making landfall in adjacent states may
severely impact counties within the Plan Area.
The Gulf Region of the Plan Area has experienced the most total hurricane landfalls (28) since 1851,
with the majority occurring in Monroe County (15; Table 6-4). The Southeast and Panhandle Regions
have experienced 27 and 25 hurricane landfalls, respectively. Within the Panhandle, the largest number
of direct hits occurred in Bay and Okaloosa Counties (each with 7). In the Southeast Region, one-third
of all hurricane landfalls occurred in Miami-Dade County. Only one hurricane has made initial landfall
in the Northeast Region. However, numerous storms have impacted this region when passing offshore
or exiting the state from the west coast.
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Table 6-4. Hurricanes making landfall within the Plan Area since 1851.
Northeast
Region
SaffirDate of
Simpson
Landfall
Category
County1
Storm
NASSAU
DUVAL
ST JOHNS
FLAGLER
VOLUSIA
Dora
3
BREVARD
Unnamed
Unnamed
Unnamed
INDIAN
RIVER
Southeast
ST LUCIE
Year
Landfall Location
9/10
1964
Near St. Augustine
2
1
1
8/29
7/28
8/1
1880
1926
1915
Erin
1
8/2
1995
Unnamed
2
8/25
1871
Unnamed
Unnamed
Unnamed
Unnamed
2
1
1
3
8/8
8/11
7/30
8/17
1928
1939
1933
1871
"Okeechobee"
4
9/17
1928
David
2
9/3
1979
Frances
Jeanne
Unnamed
Unnamed
Unnamed
Katrina
Cleo
Unnamed
2
3
4
4
4
1
2
1
9/5
9/26
9/17
8/27
9/4
8/25
8/27
9/11
2004
2004
1947
1949
1933
2005
1964
1903
Near Satellite Beach
Cocoa Beach
Cape Canaveral
Near Indian River
Shores
South of Indian
River Shores
Hutchinson Island
Hutchinson Island
Fort Pierce
North of Jupiter
Hobe Sound
National Wildlife
Refuge
Hobe Sound
National Wildlife
Refuge
Hutchinson Island
Hutchinson Island
Boca Raton
Riviera Beach
North Palm Beach
Hallandale Beach
Dania Beach
Fort Lauderdale
MARTIN
PALM
BEACH
BROWARD
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Southeast
Region
Table 6-4. Hurricanes making landfall within the Plan Area since 1851.
SaffirDate of
1
County
Storm
Simpson
Year
Landfall Location
Landfall
Category
MIAMIDADE
Gulf
MONROE
COLLIER
Unnamed
1
11/4
1935
Unnamed
3
8/16
1888
King
"Great Miami"
2
4
10/18
9/18
1950
1926
Andrew
4
8/24
1992
Unnamed
4
9/15
1945
Unnamed
3
10/6
1941
Unnamed
1
8/24
1891
Unnamed
Betsy
Unnamed
Unnamed
Inez
1
3
2
1
1
10/17
9/8
9/28
10/21
10/4
1904
1965
1929
1878
1966
Unnamed
5
9/3
1935
Unnamed
Donna
Unnamed
Unnamed
Unnamed
Unnamed
Unnamed
Irene
Floyd
Unnamed
Unnamed
3
4
3
3
1
3
2
1
1
2
1
11/11
9/10
10/18
10/5
6/17
9/21
10/23
10/15
10/12
10/20
10/21
1909
1960
1906
1948
1906
1948
1865
1999
1987
1876
1924
Wilma
3
10/24
2005
Unnamed
1
10/21
1870
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Surfside
North of Miami
Beach
Key Biscayne
Miami
Biscayne National
Park/Homestead
Biscayne National
Park/Homestead
Biscayne National
Park/Homestead
Biscayne National
Park/Homestead
Key Largo
Key Largo
Key Largo
Key Largo
Plantation Key
Lower Matecumbe
Key
Long Key
Long Key
Marathon
Marathon
Marathon
Saddlebunch Keys
Saddlehill Key
Key West
Key West
Chokoloskee
Everglades City
South of Cape
Romano
Keewaydin Island
Final Month Date, Year
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
Region
Table 6-4. Hurricanes making landfall within the Plan Area since 1851.
SaffirDate of
1
County
Storm
Simpson
Year
Landfall Location
Landfall
Category
Unnamed
2
9/25
1894
Unnamed
3
10/18
1910
Unnamed
3
10/7
1873
Charley
Unnamed
Unnamed
4
1
1
2004
1925
1944
Unnamed
Unnamed
Unnamed
1
3
1
8/13
12/1
10/19
None
10/8
10/25
9/12
Unnamed
2
10/9
1852
Alma
2
6/9
1966
Unnamed
2
8/1
1899
Unnamed
2
6/30
1886
Unnamed
1
9/4
1915
Kate
2
11/21
1985
Agnes
1
6/19
1972
Unnamed
3
10/3
1877
Unnamed
1
9/15
1924
3
8/23
1851
Panama City
3
1
10/9
9/3
1894
1998
2
8/31
1856
Panama City
Panama City
Northwest of
Panama City
Gulf
LEE
CHARLOTTE
SARASOTA
MANATEE
PINELLAS
FRANKLIN
1946
1921
1852
Panhandle
GULF
BAY
"Great Middle
Florida"
Unnamed
Earl
Unnamed
Page 17 of 74
Fort Myers Beach
Sanibel Island/Fort
Myers
Captiva/Sanibel
Islands
Captival Island
North of Rotonda
South of Englewood
Anna Maria Island
Clearwater
Clearwater
Bald Point State
Park
Bald Point State
Park
Eastpoint
Southwest of
Apalachicola
East of Eglin AFB
Annex
South of Mexico
Beach
West of Mexico
Beach
West of Mexico
Beach
West of Mexico
Beach
Final Month Date, Year
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
Region
Table 6-4. Hurricanes making landfall within the Plan Area since 1851.
SaffirDate of
1
County
Storm
Simpson
Year
Landfall Location
Landfall
Category
Panhandle
WALTON
OKALOOSA
SANTA
ROSA
ESCAMBIA
1
Florence
1
9/26
1953
Eloise
Unnamed
Flossy
Unnamed
Unnamed
Unnamed
Unnamed
Unnamed
3
2
1
1
1
1
3
3
9/23
7/7
9/24
7/27
9/19
7/31
9/29
9/10
1975
1896
1956
1887
1877
1936
1917
1882
Opal
3
10/4
1995
Dennis
3
7/10
2005
Unnamed
2
10/18
1916
Grayton Beach State
Park
East of Destin
Destin
Destin
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach
Gulf Islands
National Seashore
Gulf Islands
National Seashore
West of Pensacola
Based on location where eye of storm initially entered Florida.
Sources: http://csc.noaa.gov/hurricanes/#app=1834&3e3d-selectedIndex=1 (Accessed 6/5/13)
Major hurricanes are those classified as Category 3 or higher. There have been 12 major hurricanes that
have made initial landfall in the Gulf Region. Of those, seven occurred in the Florida Keys (Monroe
County). Eleven (11) major hurricanes have made landfall in the Southeast Region (5 in Miami-Dade
County), while 8 have hit the Panhandle. Only one major hurricane has made initial landfall in the
Northeast Region (St. Johns County).
The most active hurricane periods for counties within the Plan Area were from 1921-1930 and again
from 1941-1950 with nine hurricanes making landfall in the state during both periods. During the
1920s, three of the nine were major hurricanes, including the Okeechobee and Great Miami hurricanes.
During the 1940s, six of the nine hurricanes to make landfall in the state were rated as a Category 3 or
higher. By comparison, only two hurricanes entered Florida during the 1980s, and both were relatively
minor.
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
Table 6-5. Tropical storms making landfall within the Plan Area for each decade since 1851.
Region
County
18511860
18611870
18711880
18811890
18911900
19011910
19211930
Southeast
MARTIN
PALM
BEACH
BROWARD
MIAMIDADE
Total Southeast
Region
19311940
1
Northeast
NASSAU
DUVAL
ST JOHNS
FLAGLER
VOLUSIA
Total Northeast
Region
BREVARD
INDIAN
RIVER
ST LUCIE
19111920
19411950
19511960
19611970
1
19711980
19811990
19912000
20012010
Total
1
1
3
1
1
1
2
2
8
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
6
2
2
1
1
1
1
3
1
Page 19 of 74
1
1
1
1
1
11
Final Month Date, Year
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
Table 6-5. Tropical storms making landfall within the Plan Area for each decade since 1851.
Region
County
18511860
MONROE
COLLIER
18611870
18711880
18811890
18911900
1
1
2
2
1
Gulf
LEE
Panhandle
Total Gulf Region
Source:
19211930
19311940
1
1
2
2
19411950
19511960
19611970
1
1
3
1
19711980
19811990
19912000
20012010
1
1
2
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
4
3
6
1
1
1
1
2
5
4
2
1
1
1
2
3
1
1
1
3
1
7
4
5
42
1
1
5
2
9
4
1
2
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
5
1
1
1
2
1
3
2
2
7
6
7
14
8
1
1
2
Total
8
1
FRANKLIN
GULF
BAY
WALTON
OKALOOSA
SANTA
ROSA
ESCAMBIA
Total Panhandle
Region
Total Plan Area
19111920
2
CHARLOTTE
SARASOTA
MANATEE
PINELLAS
19011910
8
1
12
4
2
7
1
3
2
3
7
5
0
5
1
2
4
3
28
9
11
89
http://csc.noaa.gov/hurricanes/#app=1834&3e3d-selectedIndex=1 (Accessed 6/5/13)
Page 20 of 74
Final Month Date, Year
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
There have been approximately 89 tropical storm landfalls in Florida since 1851 (Table 6-5). Over
three-quarters of the storms entered the state in the Gulf and Panhandle Regions (42 and 28 landfalls,
respectively). Another 11 and 8 landfalls occurred in the Southeast and Northeast Regions, respectively.
Monroe County (Gulf region) experienced the most landfalls (14). The most active tropical storm
periods were from 1901-1910 and 2001-2010 when 12 and 11 storms, respectively, struck the state.
Wind
Average wind speeds for select cities within the Plan Area are given in Table 6-6. Wind speeds are
highest in Key West and range from 9.2 mph in August to 12.2 mph in April with an annual average of
10.9 mph. In West Palm Beach and Miami, annual wind speeds average 9.6 and 9.2 mph, respectively.
Apalachicola and Jacksonville have the lowest average annual wind speeds at 7.8 mph. Wind speeds are
generally highest in March and April and lowest in July and August.
Tornadoes
Florida experiences more tornadoes per 10,000 square miles than any state in the nation. However, most
of these tornadoes are much lower in intensity than those on the Great Plains or Midwest, and there are
fewer deaths and property damage than experienced in other states. Many of the tornadoes form over
water and are referred to as waterspouts. These generally tend to be relatively small and weak, although
there have been some notable exceptions. The highest incidence of tornado deaths and injuries in
Florida has occurred in a swath between Tampa and Daytona Beach.
Fog
In north and central Florida, dense winter fog can cause transportation problems especially late at night
or early in the morning. In the winter, relatively warm and moist air may drift in from the Gulf of
Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean and settle over cooler land. The air near the land surface may be chilled
to the dew point, causing fog to develop. Usually, the fog dissipates by mid-morning. Over the
southern half of Florida, fog is rare throughout the year.
Page 21 of 74
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
Table 6-6. Average wind speed (mph) for select cities within the Plan Area based on data compiled through 2008.
Region
Northeast
Southeast
Gulf
Panhandle
County
City
Years
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Mean
DUVAL
Jacksonville
1950-2008
8.1
8.7
9.1
8.5
7.9
7.7
7.0
6.7
7.5
7.7
7.6
7.6
7.8
VOLUSIA
Daytona Beach
1946-2008
8.8
9.2
9.7
9.4
8.9
7.9
7.3
7.0
8.1
8.9
8.3
8.3
8.5
INDIAN RIVER
Vero Beach
1984-2008
8.6
9.0
9.8
9.4
9.1
7.6
6.8
6.6
7.4
8.6
8.6
8.0
8.3
PALM BEACH
West Palm Beach
1943-2008
10.1
10.5
11.0
10.9
9.9
8.3
7.7
7.7
8.8
10.0
10.4
10.0
9.6
MIAMI-DADE
Miami
1950-2008
9.5
10.0
10.4
10.5
9.5
8.3
7.9
7.9
8.2
9.2
9.7
9.1
9.2
MONROE
Key West
1954-2008
11.8
11.9
12.0
12.2
10.5
9.6
9.4
9.2
9.5
10.8
12.0
11.7
10.9
LEE
Fort Myers
1946-2008
8.3
8.9
9.3
8.8
8.0
7.2
6.6
6.7
7.4
8.4
8.1
7.9
8.0
FRANKLIN
Apalachicola
1955-2008
8.3
8.7
8.9
8.5
7.7
7.1
6.4
6.4
7.8
8.0
8.0
8.0
7.8
ESCAMBIA
Pensacola
1965-2008
9.0
9.3
9.7
9.5
8.6
7.6
6.9
6.7
7.6
7.9
8.2
8.8
8.3
Source: The Southeast Regional Climate Center
http://www.sercc.com/climateinfo/historical/avgwind.html (Accessed 6/5/13)
Page 22 of 74
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
The varying and dynamic elements of climate science are inherently long term, complex and
interrelated. Regardless of the underlying causes of climate change, glacial melting and expansion of
warming oceans are causing sea level rise, although its extent or rate cannot as yet be predicted with
certainty. At present, climate models cannot be scaled down enough to precisely predict when and
where climate impacts will occur. Thus, although we may know the direction of change, it may not be
possible to predict its precise timing or magnitude. Furthermore, these impacts may take place
gradually, or may occur episodically in major leaps.
Our understanding of how climate change and sea level rise are likely to impact the Plan Area over the
relatively near-term (e.g., 25-year term of the ITP) is still evolving. However, computer models are
continually being improved to facilitate those predictions, particularly here in Florida. The discussion
below focuses on how climate change generally is expected to affect coastal Florida. A more in-depth
analysis is presented in Chapter 8 (Assessment of Anticipated Take). It utilizes the most current
predictions of sea level rise to bracket the range of potential effects on those factors most likely to affect
the incidental take of covered species over the term of the ITP (e.g., changes in coastal populations, land
use, frequency and scope of CCCL permitting activities, and impacts to natural communities).
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report (IPCC 2007a), warming of the
earth’s climate is “unequivocal,” as is now evident from observations of increases in average global air
and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising sea level. Florida is particularly
vulnerable to the effects of climate change and sea level rise with over 1,200 miles of coastline, almost
4,500 square miles of estuaries and bays, and more than 6,700 square miles of other coastal waters
(FDEP 2008a). Additionally, most of the state’s 18 million residents live within 60 miles of the Atlantic
Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico (FDEP 1994, 2008). According to the Florida Oceans and Coastal Council
(FOCC 2010), three-fourths of the state’s population lives in coastal counties, which account for 79
percent of Florida’s total annual economy. Florida’s coastal and marine resources include diverse and
productive ecosystems such as coastal ocean, barrier islands, estuaries, mangrove swamps, seagrass
beds, coral reefs, and oyster bars (FOCC 2009). These ecosystems are an important food source,
perform invaluable ecological functions at no cost to the public, and provide significant recreational
opportunities for residents and tourists alike. While future impacts cannot be precisely predicted,
climate change can potentially pose significant threats to the state’s infrastructure, human health, natural
systems, economy, and long-term sustainability (FOCC 2009).
Page 23 of 74
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
Potential General Impacts
According to IPCC models, the world’s mean temperature will rise an additional 1.8 to 4.0 o C (3.2 to
7.2ºF), sea levels will rise 0.18 to 0.59 m (7 to 23 in), and weather variability will significantly increase
by the year 2100 (IPCC 2007b). A warmer and more variable climate threatens to lead to higher levels
of some air pollutants, increase transmission of infectious diseases through unclean water and food
contamination, compromise agricultural production, and increase the hazards of extreme weather events
and heat waves (World Health Organization 2009).
Extreme high air temperatures can lead directly to deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory disease, as
well as raise levels of key air pollutants such as ground-level ozone (World Health Organization 2009).
More variable precipitation can lead to increased frequency and intensity of both floods and droughts.
Altered rainfall patterns, increased rates of evaporation of surface waters and melting of glaciers,
combined with population and economic growth, are expected to increase the number of people living in
water-stressed water basins worldwide from about 1.5 billion in 1990 to 3-6 billion by 2050 (Arnell
2004). Rising temperatures and more variable precipitation are projected to reduce crop yields in many
developing countries, stressing food supplies and leading to increased prevalence of malnutrition.
In the long run, the greatest health impacts may result from the gradual increase of pressure on the
natural, economic, and social systems that sustain health, including reductions and seasonal changes in
the availability of fresh water, regional drops in food production, and rising sea levels (World Health
Organization 2009). Each of these changes has the potential to force population displacement, which is
associated with heightened risks of a range of health effects, from mental disorders to communicable
diseases, and increase the risks of civil conflict.
The potential impacts of climate change on Florida’s natural resources are varied. Oceans are becoming
more acidic as a result of increased carbon dioxide levels (Archer 2005). Acidification can negatively
impact marine organisms with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons, such as corals and bivalves (IPCC
2007b, Bates 2007). Increased ocean acidity reduces shell integrity and growth in bivalves and slows
reef-building by corals, which could lead to changes in community structure and eventual extinction as
well as disrupt the food web and impact fishing and tourism (Fabry et al. 2008, Kurihara 2008). Rising
sea-surface temperatures could result in more frequent and severe coral bleaching events as well as
increases in coral disease in the Florida Keys (Wilkinson and Souter 2008). Changing environmental
conditions may ultimately result in major shifts in coral reef community structure and a loss of
biodiversity (FOCC 2009). Increased sea-surface temperatures have also been implicated in massive
die-offs of sponges along the reef tract from Miami to the Dry Tortugas and in Florida Bay, seagrasses
in Florida Bay, and tropical reef fish in the Florida Keys (Wilkinson and Souter 2008). As ocean
temperatures continue to increase, impacts may begin to affect more northerly coastal and marine
environments (FOCC 2009). Changes in the distribution of native and exotic species will occur as the
ranges of marine species shift northward in response to warmer ocean temperatures (Straile and Stenseth
2007). These conditions will likely be more favorable for non-native plant and animal species to invade
Page 24 of 74
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
Florida’s coastal waters (Stachowicz et al. 2002). The occurrence of harmful algal blooms will likely
become more frequent and intense with warmer water temperatures, which may lead to the disruption of
coastal marine and estuarine food webs and adverse impacts to people near the affected areas (Paerl and
Huisman 2008, Peperzak 2005, Van Dolah 2000).
Changes in sea-surface temperatures, water vapor content, and wind shear may alter tropical storm and
hurricane frequency and intensity (Knutson et al. 2008, Vecchi and Soden 2007). There is a possibility
that major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) may become more frequent with increasing sea-surface
temperatures (Webster et al. 2005). In addition, storm surge events could occur much more often
because of the higher base elevation of the ocean caused by sea level rise (Harrington and Walton 2008).
Florida’s geology, chemistry, biology, and human population will be profoundly affected by rising sea
levels (FOCC 2010). For coastal resources, the rate at which sea level rises is just as important as how
much it rises. For the past few thousand years, sea level around the state has been rising at a slow but
constant rate (Maul and Martin 1993), although a persistent upturn in the rate of relative sea-level rise
may have begun in recent decades (IPCC 2007b). The biggest unknown in projections of sea level over
the next century is the response of ice reservoirs to climate change (FOCC 2010).
Beaches and inlets are regional systems of sediment deposition, erosion, and transport which are
processes greatly affected by changes in sea level, rates of sea-level change, and frequency and intensity
of storm events (FOCC 2010). Florida’s shoreline is both advancing because of sediment accumulation
and retreating as a result of erosion and overwash (Sallenger et al. 2006). It is expected that sea-level
rise and hurricane landfalls will exacerbate long-term erosion rates and that barrier islands will continue
to erode, migrate landward, and be reduced in elevation (Sallenger et al. 2009). The submergence of
low barrier islands will leave current mainland shorelines along some areas of the state vulnerable to the
full brunt of storms.
Even though Florida tide ranges are relatively small, tidal effects extend far inland, because much of the
state is relatively low and flat (FOCC 2010). Because sea level has been rising slowly for a long time,
many tidal wetlands such as mangrove forests and salt marshes have been able keep pace with sea-level
changes through natural sedimentation and marsh accretion and have grown into expansive habitats for
estuarine and marine life (Estevez 1988, Hine and Belknap 1986, Glick and Clough 2006). However,
these wetlands may disappear if sea-level rise exceeds their capacity to adapt. Critical wetlands of the
Big Bend and the Everglades are retreating or disappearing and being replaced by salt-marsh vegetation
or open water (Williams et al. 1999, Raabe et al. 2004, DeSantis et al. 2007). It is likely that lowdiversity brackish wetlands will replace high-diversity freshwater wetlands in the tidal freshwater
reaches of coastal rivers (Van Arman et al. 2005), and as a result, major spatial shifts in wetland
communities are likely (Dahdouh-Guebas et al. 2005). The loss of tidal wetlands will result in the
dangerous loss of coastal systems that buffer storm impacts (Wanless et al. 1997, Badola and Hussain
Page 25 of 74
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
2005). It is possible that more than half of the salt marsh, shoals, and mudflats that serve as critical bird
and fish habitat in Florida could be lost during the 21 st century with continued sea level rise (Glick and
Clough 2006).
Rising sea level can potentially cause extensive damage to coastal communities in Florida, especially as
it heightens storm surge generated by tropical storms and hurricanes. Fifteen of the state’s 20 major
population centers are located in coastal counties (FOCC 2010). Much of the coastal infrastructure was
designed and built according to criteria based on historical local mean sea level and flooding data which
did not take into account current or future sea level (Florida Climate Action Team 2008). Sea-level rise
will physically stress infrastructure such as buildings, roads, and bridges, and this stress will increase
infrastructure fatigue, resulting in reduced effective functional life and increased maintenance (South
East Climate Change Partnership 2005, U.S. EPA 2009). Much of the state’s current coastal
infrastructure will likely need to be replaced or improved during on-going sea-level rise.
The mean annual number of people at risk from flooding by coastal storm surges is projected to increase
several-fold (to 200 million) in a scenario of mid-range climate changes, in which a 40-cm (16-in) sea
level rise occurs by the 2080s (IPCC 2007c). Grinsted et al. (2009) projects that sea level could rise by
one meter by 2100 which is three times higher than that predicted by the IPCC. While a one-meter (3-ft)
rise would inundate Florida’s barrier islands and much of its southern tip, a three-meter (10-ft) rise
would submerge much of South Florida, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Robbins 2009). In
either scenario, rising waters would lead to the rapid displacement of people living along Florida’s
coastline. Rising waters will likely force millions of people to move inland while inundating millions of
hectares of wetlands, islands, and coastal marshes. A one-meter (3-ft) sea level rise would displace
almost half of Florida’s population, forcing nearly 8 million people to higher ground. It would also
swamp roughly 20 percent of the state’s conservation lands and inundate the habitat of at least 26 animal
species, placing many of them in danger of extinction. From a human development standpoint, the
conventional strategy used to combat sea-level rise has been coastal hardening (building sea walls and
other protective structures and nourishing or expanding beaches).
Sea level rise in conjunction with human population growth, urban coastal development, and landscape
fragmentation, poses a major threat to human and natural communities in Florida (Noss 2011). Pilkey
and Young (2009) emphasize that sea level rise will be the most immediate, the most certain, the most
widespread, and the most economically visible in its effects of all the current and projected changes
from anthropogenic climate change. This conclusion suggests that sea level rise could be one of the
greatest potential causes of global species extinctions and ecosystem disruption over coming decades
and centuries (Noss 2011). Within the state of Florida, many imperiled species have their entire
worldwide distribution in coastal areas that are projected to be inundated by rising sea levels over the
next several decades (Geselbracht et al. 2011, Maschinski et al. 2011). Protection of undeveloped inland
habitats would help accommodate upslope migration of coastal forest communities and associated
species in response to rising seas (Geselbracht et al. 2011). Maschinski et al. (2011) suggest that
Page 26 of 74
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
multiple strategies will be necessary to reduce extinction possibilities, including the controversial
measure of managed relocation of vulnerable species populations.
Rising sea level greatly increases the odds of damaging floods from storm surges. Even small amounts
of sea level rise can make rare floods more common by adding to tides and storm surge. For over twothirds of the 55 locations analyzed by Climate Central (Strauss et al. 2012), past and future global
warming more than doubles the estimated odds of "century" or worse floods occurring within the next
18 years. For over half of the locations examined, warming at least triples the odds of century-plus
floods. The Climate Central study found that at over half of the 55 sites analyzed, there is a one-in-two
or better chance of water reaching at least 1.2 m (4 ft) higher than the average local high tide by 2030, at
least once. By 2050, many locations are expected to experience 1.5-m (5-ft) or higher floods. In every
case, sea level rise increases the odds, usually doubling or tripling them at least.
While sea level rise projections and associated flood risks vary by site because of differences in local
effects, these increases are likely to cause a significant amount of damage. Across the country, nearly 5
million people live in 2.6 million homes on land less than 1.2 m (4 ft) above the local high tide line,
potential victims of increasingly likely climate-induced coastal flooding (Strauss et al. 2012).
Approximately half of the exposed population below 1.2 m (4 ft) live in the state of Florida. According
to the draft Regional Climate Action Plan of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact
(2011), an estimated $31 billion in taxable property lies below the three-foot line in just three counties in
southeast Florida, not including Miami-Dade County, which has the most homes at risk in both the state
and the nation.
According to Climate Central’s analysis, the odds of a 100-year flood occurring in Florida by 2030 are
multiplied by 2.6X with sea level rise from climate change (http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/research/
reports/, accessed 6/5/13). Climate Central has also developed maps and statistics for areas in Florida
that are less than 0.3-3 m (1-10 ft) above the local high tide line and show threats from sea level rise and
storm surge, including searchable results for every coastal town, city, and county (Climate Central
website; http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/surgingseas/place/states/FL, accessed 6/5/13). According to
these maps, at an elevation of less than 1.2 m (4 ft), a height near the middle of the range of 100-year
flood levels calculated for Florida water level stations, 2.4 million people will be vulnerable to sea level
rise and storm surge. Additionally, 1.3 million homes and 1.8 million acres of land will be at risk.
Counties with the largest total exposed populations include Miami-Dade, Broward, Lee, Pinellas,
Collier, Monroe, Charlotte, St. Johns, and Brevard (Table 6-7). Miami-Dade and Broward Counties
each have more people living on land below 1.2 m (4 ft) than any US state except Florida itself and
Louisiana.
Page 27 of 74
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Chapter 6 – Plan Area
Table 6-7. Summary of Populations, Homes, and Land less than 1.2 m (4 ft) above Sea Level for
Each County within the Plan Area.
HCP
Region
County
Population
Homes
Acres
Nearest Flood Risk Indicator Site
Panhandle
Gulf
Southeast
Northeast
NASSAU
4,823 (6.6%)
2,707 (7.7%)
30,768 (5.9%)
Fernandina Beach - Amelia River
14,191 (2.6%)
Fernandina Beach - Amelia River
DUVAL
12,081 (1.4%)
6,577 (1.7%)
32,345 (17.0%) 16,381 (18.2%)
40,094 (8.6%)
Fernandina Beach - Amelia River
ST JOHNS
7,663 (8.0%)
4,978 (10.2%)
23,795 (6.0%)
Fernandina Beach - Amelia River
FLAGLER
16,466 (3.3%)
11,855 (4.7%)
73,372 (8.5%)
Fernandina Beach - Amelia River
VOLUSIA
31,545 (5.8%)
17,589 (6.5%)
76,151 (9.6%)
Fernandina Beach - Amelia River
BREVARD
9,104 (11.9%)
6,932 (1.8%)
Vaca Key - Florida Bay
INDIAN RIVER 11,896 (8.6%)
11,173 (4.0%)
12,415 (9.1%)
4,752 (1.0%)
Vaca Key - Florida Bay
ST LUCIE
11,429 (7.8%)
8,157 (10.4%)
6,762 (1.4%)
Vaca Key - Florida Bay
MARTIN
18,376 (2.8%)
6,064 (0.4%)
Vaca Key - Florida Bay
PALM BEACH 22,845 (1.7%)
645,155 (36.9%) 307,105 (37.9%) 118,078 (12.9%)
Vaca Key - Florida Bay
BROWARD
Vaca Key - Florida Bay
MIAMI-DADE 933,421 (37.4%) 397,409 (40.2%) 426,263 (34.7%)
52,551 (72.4%) 37,902 (72.0%) 179,609 (66.8%)
Vaca Key - Florida Bay
MONROE
73,230 (22.8%) 58,876 (29.8%) 112,109 (8.7%)
Naples - Gulf of Mexico
COLLIER
189,350 (30.6%) 137,538 (37.1%) 72,849 (13.1%)
Naples - Gulf of Mexico
LEE
39,412 (8.0%)
Naples - Gulf of Mexico
CHARLOTTE 45,662 (28.5%) 33,620 (33.4%)
12,221 (3.2%)
11,017 (4.8%)
7,211 (1.7%)
St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay
SARASOTA
26,687 (8.3%) 20,798 (12.0%)
11,799 (1.9%)
St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay
MANATEE
151,642 (16.6%) 100,218 (19.9%) 29,931 (15.7%) Clearwater Beach - Gulf of Mexico
PINELLAS
608 (5.3%)
1,202 (13.9%)
45,323 (10.8%)
Apalachicola - Apalachicola River
FRANKLIN
59,230 (12.8%)
288 (1.8%)
422 (4.6%)
Apalachicola - Apalachicola River
GULF
5,677 (3.4%)
4,208 (4.2%)
18,665 (3.2%)
Apalachicola - Apalachicola River
BAY
WALTON
5,145 (9.3%)
4,172 (9.2%)
22,415 (3.0%)
Pensacola - Pensacola Bay
7,083 (3.9%)
6,074 (6.6%)
5,462 (0.8%)
Pensacola - Pensacola Bay
OKALOOSA
SANTA ROSA
2,568 (1.7%)
1,542 (2.4%)
21,313 (2.9%)
Pensacola - Pensacola Bay
2,724 (0.9%)
2,499 (1.8%)
11,841 (2.2%)
Pensacola - Pensacola Bay
ESCAMBIA
Source: Climate Central (http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/surgingseas/place/states/FL)
The risk of flooding in low-lying coastal areas will increase with sea-level rise, especially during spring
and fall high tides and storm events (Murley et al. 2008). Because Florida’s stormwater drainage
systems rely primarily on gravity, sea-level rise is expected to reduce their effectiveness (SFWMD
2009a). In low-lying inland areas, the risk of flooding during heavy rains will increase as stormwater
drainage systems are compromised (Heimlich et al. 2009).
Sea-level rise already threatens the aquifers that supply much of Florida’s drinking water in low-lying
coastal areas, a problem that is likely to worsen as sea level continues to rise and withdrawals of water
increase in response to the state’s growing population (FOCC 2010). Shallow coastal aquifers are
already experiencing saltwater intrusion which threatens to contaminate water-supply wells in coastal
areas. Sea-level rise will cause brackish water to encroach farther northward in the low-lying
southernmost portion of the Everglades (FOCC 2010). The Pensacola Bay and St. Johns River
watersheds, as well as drinking water supplies in southern Florida from Palm Beach to Miami, the
Florida Keys, Naples, and Fort Myers are especially at risk to saltwater intrusion associated with rising
sea levels (Dausman and Langevin 2005, Freed et al. 2005, Murley et al. 2008). The South Florida
Water Management District (SFWMD) already spends millions of dollars per year to prevent Miami’s
Biscayne Aquifer, the primary water supply to southeastern Florida and the Florida Keys, from
becoming brackish (Miller et al. 1989). The main purpose of the Comprehensive Everglades
Restoration Plan is to increase freshwater flow to the southern Everglades, which would help offset the
effect of sea-level rise and help preserve southern Florida’s water supply as well as protect the
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Everglades ecosystem (SFWMD 2009b). As sea level continues to rise, shallow aquifers throughout the
state will eventually be threatened (Murley et al. 2008).
Effects on Beaches and Dependent Species
Florida’s beaches are not only economically and recreationally valuable, but also provide critical habitat
for organisms such as sea turtles and beach mice. There are many beaches throughout the state that
experience varying degrees of erosion which can be attributed to man-made inlets and to tropical storms,
making it difficult to determine the influence of concurrent sea-level rise (Williams et al. 2009). In
areas experiencing a net loss of sand, some beaches are maintained by restoration (initial placement of
sand onto eroded beaches) and nourishment (subsequent maintenance events, often referred to as
renourishment; Absalonsen and Dean 2010). With rising sea level and associated bigger wave and
storm surge impacts, erosion rates are likely to increase along sea turtle nesting beaches. This could
particularly impact areas with low-lying beaches where sand depth is a limiting factor, as the sea will
inundate nesting sites and decrease available nesting habitat (Daniels et al. 1993, Fish et al. 2005, Baker
et al. 2006). Concurrently, beachfront property owners are likely to increasingly resort to armoring their
properties, further constricting nesting habitat. Over 90 percent of loggerhead sea turtle nesting and
almost all green turtle and leatherback nesting in the United States occur on Florida’s beaches (FOCC
2010). The loss of habitat as a result of climate change could be accelerated because of a combination
of other environmental and oceanographic changes such as an increase in the frequency of storms and/or
changes in prevailing currents, both of which could lead to increased beach loss via erosion (Antonelis
et al. 2006, Baker et al. 2006). Significant losses of nesting beaches would likely threaten the recovery
and survival of sea turtle populations.
The IPCC Report (2007a) describes changes in natural ecosystems with potential wide-spread effects on
many organisms, including marine mammals and migratory birds. The potential for rapid climate
change poses a significant challenge for fish and wildlife conservation. For example, it will become
increasingly difficult for shorebirds and seabirds to find suitable nesting and foraging habitat on
Florida’s beaches as sea level rises, particularly if natural shoreline changes are inhibited by armoring.
Species’ abundances and distributions are dynamic, and are affected by a variety of factors, including
climate. As climate changes, the abundance and distribution of covered species within the Plan Area
may also change. Although all covered species are susceptible to these changes, beach mice are perhaps
the most susceptible because of their endemic nature.
Natural Communities
Natural communities are comprised of unique assemblages of native plants and animals. Along
Florida’s coastline many of these communities have been highly fragmented by development, and as a
result, are now largely confined to large tracts of publically-owned lands, such as state and Federal
parks. Natural communities within the Plan Area were identified using available land cover data from
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the South Florida (2000), Southwest Florida (2000, 2009), St. John’s (2000), and Northwest Florida
(2004) Water Management Districts (Florida Geographic Data Library website, www.fgdl.org, accessed
09/14/11). Within the Plan Area, these data indicate there are 12 natural community types, as defined by
the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI): beach and dune, coastal strand, mesic flatwoods, maritime
hammock, coastal grassland, hydric hammock, tidal swamp, tidal marsh, freshwater marsh, wet prairie,
wet flatwoods, and bottomland forest. The habitat descriptions provided below are derived from the
FNAI Guide to the Natural Communities of Florida (1990, 2010). Table 6-8 contains a listing of the
natural communities that occur within the Plan Area by county and HCP region.
Beach and Dune
The beach-dune system is the largest intact natural community remaining within the Plan Area, although
it has been considerably impacted in many areas by development and recreational beach use. The FNAI
characterizes the beach/dune as a dynamic and mobile environment, consisting of a wind-deposited
foredune and wave-deposited upper beach. The shifting beach sand zone is typically unvegetated, while
the foredune and lands farther inland can be sparsely to densely vegetated with a variety of xeric,
pioneer plant species. Typical vegetation includes sea oats (Uniola paniculata), beach panicum
(Panicum amarum), beach morning glory (Ipomoea spp.), dune sunflower (Helianthus debilis), evening
primrose (Oenothera humifusa), sand spur (Cenchrus spp.), sea purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum),
Spanish bayonet (Yucca aloifolia), and saw palmetto (Serenoa repens).
Despite the harsh environment of the beach-dune system, this community provides extremely important
habitat for a variety of species. The most conspicuous and characteristic resident animal species on the
beach is the ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata). Though rare, beach mice inhabit the primary, secondary,
and occasionally tertiary sand dunes. A variety of infaunal macroinvertebrates, including the coquina
crab (Donax spp.) and mole crab (Emerita talpoida) inhabit the swash zone and intertidal sands, and
these same areas provide important juvenile developmental habitat for a variety of surf fish, including
pompano. Migratory song birds feed upon the sea oats along the dunes and shorebirds utilize the beach
for resting, foraging and nesting. Florida’s beach-dune system also provides important nesting habitat
for sea turtles, with females emerging from the ocean to lay eggs from early spring through late summer
and hatchlings emerging from nests throughout the summer into early fall.
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Table 6-8. Natural community types occurring within the Florida Beaches HCP Plan Area.
Bottom-land
Forest
Wet Flatwoods
Wet Prairie
Fresh-water
Marsh
Tidal Marsh
Tidal Swamp
Hydric
Hammock
Coastal
Grassland
Maritime
Hammock
Northeast
NASSAU
DUVAL
ST JOHNS
FLAGLER
VOLUSIA
Mesic Flatwoods
County
Coastal Strand
Region
Beach-Dune
Natural Community Type (Florida Natural Areas Inventory Classification)
Total Northeast Region
BREVARD
INDIAN
RIVER
ST LUCIE
MARTIN
Southeast
PALM
BEACH
BROWARD
MIAMIDADE
Total Southeast Region
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Bottom-land
Forest
Wet Flatwoods
Wet Prairie
Fresh-water
Marsh
Tidal Marsh
Tidal Swamp
Hydric
Hammock
Coastal
Grassland
Maritime
Hammock
Mesic Flatwoods
County
Coastal Strand
Region
Beach/Dune
Table 6-8. Natural community types occurring within the Florida Beaches HCP Plan Area.
Natural Community Type (Florida Natural Areas Inventory Classification)
MONROE
Gulf
COLLIER
LEE
CHARLOTTE
SARASOTA
MANATEE
PINELLAS
Total Gulf Region
Panhandle
ESCAMBIA
SANTA
ROSA
OKALOOSA
WALTON
BAY
GULG
FRANKLIN
Total Panhandle Region
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Coastal Strand
The FNAI defines coastal strand (a.k.a. coastal scrub) as stabilized, wind-deposited coastal dunes that
are vegetated with dense thickets of xeric, evergreen shrubs. Coastal strand communities typically occur
immediately landward of the beach-dune system. This community type is common throughout the Plan
Area in relatively small, remnant pockets on both public and private lands. Dominant vegetation within
this community includes various xeric oaks (Quercus spp.), fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), rosemary
(Ceratiola spp.), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), and gopher apple (Licania michauxii). As a result of
the arid conditions found in the coastal strand, fauna is dominated by reptiles, such as the gopher tortoise
(Gopherus polyphemus), garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), black racer (Coluber constrictor), and
pygmy rattlesnake (Sistruris miliarius). Mammals common within the coastal strand include the eastern
mole (Scalopus aquaticus), cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus), and cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus).
Mesic Flatwoods
Mesic flatwoods are the most widespread natural community in Florida, covering the flat sandy terraces
left behind when sea level retracted during the Pleistocene Epoch. However, within the Plan Area, they
are only known to occur within Gulf, Franklin, and Palm Beach Counties. Mesic flatwoods are
characterized by an open canopy of tall pines and a dense, low ground layer of low shrubs, grasses, and
forbs. Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is the principal canopy tree in northern and Central Florida, and
South Florida slash pine (P. elliottii var. densa) generally forms the canopy south of Lake Okeechobee.
Characteristic shrubs include saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), gallberry (Ilex glabra), coastal plain
staggerbush (Lyonia fruticosa), and fetterbush (Lyonia lucida). Rhizomatous dwarf shrubs, usually less
than two feet tall, are common and include dwarf live oak (Quercus minima), runner oak (Q. elliottii),
shiny blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites), Darrow's blueberry (V. darrowii), and dwarf huckleberry
(Gaylussacia dumosa). The herbaceous layer consists predominantly of grasses, including wiregrass
(Aristida stricta var. beyrichiana), dropseeds (Sporobolus curtissii, S. floridanus), panicgrasses
(Dichanthelium spp.), and broomsedges (Andropogon spp.) and a large number of showy forbs. Typical
flatwoods animals include: oak toad (Bufo quercicus), little grass frog (Pseudacris ocularis),
narrowmouth toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis), black racer, corn snake (Elaphe guttata), southeastern
kestrel (Falco sparverius), brown-headed nuthatch (Sitta pusilla), pine warbler (Dendroica pinus),
Bachman’s sparrow (Aimophila aestivalis), cotton rat, cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus), black
bear (Ursus americanus), raccoon (Procyon lotor), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargentius), bobcat (Lynx
rufus), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).
Maritime Hammock
Maritime hammock is a predominantly evergreen hardwood forest growing on stabilized coastal dunes
lying at varying distances from the shore. Although it originally occurred in virtually continuous bands
along the coast of Florida, this natural community type is now dissected into short strips by development
and is rapidly disappearing. Small pockets of maritime hammock are found throughout the Plan Area,
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but are largely absent from the Panhandle Region. Species composition varies considerably from north
to south with the temperate species in northern Florida gradually giving way to more tropical vegetation
in south Florida. From the Georgia border to north of Cape Canaveral, live oak (Quercus virginiana),
cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto), and red bay (Persea borbonia) are the principal canopy trees.
Additional canopy species include pignut hickory (Carya glabra) and southern magnolia (Magnolia
grandiflora). Characteristic subcanopy species include red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and American
holly (Ilex opaca). Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), tough bully (Sideroxylon tenax), wax myrtle (Myrica
cerifera), and saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) are typical shrubs found in this community. The
herbaceous groundcover layer is generally sparse.
In south and southwest Florida, canopy trees often include gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba), false
mastic (Sideroxylon foetidissimum), inkwood (Exothea paniculata), white stopper (Eugenia axillaris),
strangler fig (Ficus aurea), seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera), Spanish stopper (Eugenia foetida),
poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum), blolly (Guapira discolor), and Florida Keys blackbead
(Pithecellobium keyense). Common shrubs include myrsine (Rapanea punctata), Simpson’s stopper
(Myrcianthes fragrans), marlberry (Ardisia escallonioides), wild coffee (Psychotria nervosa),
snowberry (Chiococca alba), and white indigoberry (Randia aculeata).
Typical animals of the maritime hammock include squirrel treefrogs (Hyla squirella), ring-necked
snakes (Diadophis punctatus), rat snakes (Elaphe obsoleta), and gray squirrel (Sciuris carolinensis).
Migrating birds rely on these forests for food and shelter following trans-oceanic or trans-gulf
migrations.
Coastal Grassland
Coastal grassland is a predominantly herbaceous community occupying the drier portions of the
transition zone between beach dunes and communities dominated by woody species, such as coastal
strand or maritime hammock. It occurs primarily on the broader barrier islands and capes along the
coast of Florida. This community occurs in all regions of the Plan Area, but is relatively uncommon.
Vegetation consists mainly of pioneer dune-building grasses, such as seaoats (Uniola paniculata), bitter
panicgrass (Panicum amarum), and saltmeadow cordgrass (Spartina patens). A variety of other
herbaceous species, including bluestem grasses (Andropogon spp., Schizachyrium spp.), camphorweed
(Heterotheca subaxillaris), and earleaf greenbrier (Smilax auriculata), are also typically found in this
habitat. Characteristic fauna include ghost crabs and savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis).
Coastal grasslands serve as important habitat for six subspecies of beach mouse (Peromyscus spp.) and
as nesting areas for several rare shorebirds.
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Hydric Hammock
Hydric hammock is an evergreen hardwood and/or palm forest with a variable understory of palms and
ferns. This community type generally occurs on low, flat, wet sites where limestone may be near the
surface and soil moisture is kept high. In the Plan Area, hydric hammock occurs only in the Panhandle
and Gulf Regions. This community generally has a closed canopy of oaks and palms, an open
understory, and a sparse to moderate groundcover of grasses and ferns. The canopy is dominated by
swamp laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia) and/or live oak (Q. virginiana) with varying amounts of cabbage
palm (Sabal palmetto), American elm (Ulmus americana), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), red cedar
(Juniperus virginiana), red maple (Acer rubrum), sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), sweetgum (Liquidambar
styraciflua), and water oak (Q. nigra). Cabbage palm is a common to dominant component of hydric
hammock throughout most of Florida. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) may be relatively abundant in some
areas, while slash pine (Pinus elliottii) is less frequently encountered. In addition to saplings of canopy
species, the understory may contain a number of small trees and shrubs, such as American hornbeam
(Carpinus caroliniana), swamp dogwood (Cornus foemina), small-leaf viburnum (Viburnum obovatum),
common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), swamp bay (Persea palustris), wax myrtle (Myrica
cerifera), dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor), American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), and needle
palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix). Vines and epiphytic vegetation are common. Typical animals of this
community include green anole (Anolis carolinensis), flycatchers, warblers, and gray squirrel.
Tidal Swamp
Marine and estuarine tidal swamps are natural communities characterized as dense, low forests
occurring along relatively flat, intertidal and supratidal shorelines of low wave energy along southern
and central Florida. Many acres of tidal swamps have been destroyed in Florida through diking and
flooding, ditching for mosquito control, and dredging and filling activities. This habitat type is present
within the Plan Area on the east coast of Florida south of Indian River County, and throughout the Gulf
Region. Four species of trees are dominant within tidal swamps: red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle),
black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), and buttonwood
(Conocarpus erectus). Typical animals of the tidal swamp include raccoon, mangrove water snake
(Nerodia clarkii compressicauda), brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), white ibis (Eudocimus
albus), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), and a variety of shorebirds,
herons, and egrets. Also present are sponges, oysters (Crassostrea virginica), marine worms, barnacles,
mangrove tree crabs (Aratus pisonii), fiddler crabs (Uca pugilator), and numerous other invertebrates.
Tidal swamp habitat serves as a nursery for many of the state’s commercially and recreationally
important fish species.
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Tidal Marsh
Marine and estuarine tidal marshes are generally characterized as expanses of grasses, rushes and sedges
along coastlines of low wave-energy and river mouths. Tidal marshes occupy intertidal areas primarily
in northern Florida above the freeze line. Below the freeze line, intertidal habitats are often colonized
by mangrove trees and become tidal swamp. Within the Plan Area, tidal marsh occurs in all HCP
regions except the Southeast. Black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) and smooth cordgrass (Spartina
alternaflora) are the most common plant species within this community, often forming dense, uniform
stands. Other typical plants include saltmeadow cordgrass (Spartina patens), gulf cordgrass (Spartina
spartinae), salt grass (Distichlis spicata), soft rush (Juncus effusus) and other rushes, marsh elder (Iva
frutescens), saltwort (Batis maritima), sea oxeye (Borrichia frutescens), seashore paspalum (Sesuvium
spp.), and marsh fleabane (Pluchea foetida). Typical animals associated with the tidal marsh include
marsh snail (Ellobium dominicense), mud snail (Ilyanassa obsoleta), spiders, fiddler crabs, isopods,
amphipods, diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), saltmarsh snake (Nerodia clarkii), wading
birds, waterfowl, osprey, rails (Rallus sp.), marsh wrens (Cistothorus palustris), seaside sparrows
(Ammodramus maritimus), muskrat (Neofiber alleni) and raccoon. Many commercially and
recreationally important species such as shrimp, blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), oysters, sharks,
grouper, snapper and mullet also use tidal marshes throughout part or all of their life cycles.
Freshwater Marsh
This community type is defined as a vegetated non-forested wetland that is usually inundated.
Freshwater marsh is relatively uncommon within the Plan Area, occurring primarily within the
Panhandle Region. Vegetative species composition is dependent on hydroperiod and depth of water. It
can generally be divided into submersed, floating-leaved plants within deeper areas of the marsh, and
emergent, grassy plants within the shallowest portions. Shrub patches may also be present within any of
these zones. Typical species found in the deeper areas of freshwater marshes include white waterlily
(Nymphaea odorata), American lotus (Nelumbo lutea), and yellow pondlily (Nuphar advena). The
emergent zone often contains pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), arrowhead (Sagittaria spp.), cattail
(Typha spp.), maidencane (Panicum hemitomon), sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense), and bulrush (Scirpus
spp.). Freshwater marshes support a wide variety of amphibian, reptile, wading bird, and mammal
species.
Wet Prairie
Wet prairie is an herbaceous natural community found on continuously wet, but rarely inundated, soils.
It typically occurs at intermediate elevations between lower lying freshwater marshes, bogs, or dome
swamps and slightly higher wet or mesic flatwoods, or dry prairie. In the Plan Area, this community
type occurs only within the Panhandle Region. Wet prairies are typically dominated by wiregrass
(Aristida strica) in the drier portions, along with foxtail club-moss (Lycopodiella alopecuroides),
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cutover muhly (Muhlenbergia expansa), yellow butterwort (Pinguicula lutea), and savannah
meadowbeauty (Rhexia alifanus). The wetter portions are typically dominated by sedges, such as
plumed beaksedge (Rhynchospora plumosa), featherbristle beaksedge (R. oligantha), Baldwin’s nutrush
(Scleria baldwinii), and slenderfruit nutrush (S. georgiana). Carnivorous plant species, such as pitcher
plants (Sarracenia spp.), sundews (Drosera spp.), butterworts (Pinguicula spp), and bladderworts
(Utricularia spp.) may also be common. Animals common to wet prairies include a great variety of
frogs, snakes, song and predatory birds, as well as marsh rabbits (Sylvilagus palustris), cotton rats, and
cotton mice.
Wet Flatwoods
Wet flatwoods are pine forests with a sparse midstory and a dense groundcover of hydrophytic grasses,
herbs, and low shrubs. These communities typically form in the ecotones between marshes and mesic
flatwoods. They are relatively uncommon in the Plan Area, occurring only in Gulf County in the
Panhandle Region. In northern Florida, the wet flatwoods canopy typically consists of longleaf pine
(Pinus palustris). Representative subcanopy trees include sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), swamp bay
(Persea palustris), loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus), pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens), dahoon
(Ilex cassine), and wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera). Shrubs include large gallberry (Ilex spp.), fetterbush
(Lyonia lucida), titi (Cliftonia spp.), sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), red chokeberry (Photinia
pyrifolia), and azaleas (Rhododendron canescens, R. viscosum). Herbaceous groundcover often includes
wiregrass (Aristida stricta), blue maidencane (Amphicarpum muhlenbergianum), and/or hydrophytic
species such as toothache grass (Ctenium aromaticum), Curtiss’ sandgrass (Calamovilfa curtissii),
cutover muhly (Muhlenbergia expansa), coastal plain yellow-eyed grass (Xyris ambigua), Carolina
redroot (Lachnanthes caroliana), beaksedges (Rhynchospora spp.), and pitcherplants (Sarracenia spp.).
Bottomland Forest
Bottomland forest is a deciduous, or mixed deciduous/evergreen, closed-canopy forest with either a
dense shrub layer with sparse groundcover or a limited understory with a groundcover of herbs, ferns,
and/or grasses. Within the Plan Area, bottomland forest only occurs in a Sarasota County park. This
community typically occurs on low-lying terraces and levees within riverine floodplains and in shallow
depressions, between swamps (which are normally inundated) and uplands. Inundation of bottomland
forests occurs only during higher floods. The canopy may be quite diverse with both deciduous and
evergreen hydrophytic to mesophytic trees. Dominant species include sweetgum (Liquidambar
styraciflua), spruce pine (Pinus glabra), loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana),
swamp laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia), water oak (Q. nigra), live oak (Q. virginiana), swamp chestnut
oak (Q. michauxii), sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), American elm (Ulmus americana), red maple (Acer
rubrum), and cypress (Taxodium spp.). Subcanopy trees often include loblolly bay (Gordonia
lasianthus), American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), swamp dogwood (Cornus foemina),
possumhaw (Ilex decidua), dahoon (I. cassine), dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor), swamp bay (Persea
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palustris), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), and highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). Ground
cover is generally variable, with species composition and relative abundance depending on whether
mesic or hydric conditions prevail. Characteristic species include witchgrasses (Dichanthelium spp.),
slender woodoats (Chasmanthium laxum), and sedges (Carex spp.).
Animals typical of bottomland forest include many salamander species, five-lined skink (Eumeces
fasciatus), ring-necked snake, rat snake, eastern king snake (Lampropeltis getula), cottonmouth
(Agkistrodon piscivorus), wood duck (Aix sponsa), red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), turkey
(Meleagris gallopavo), yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), screech-owl (Otus asio), greathorned owl (Bubo virginianus), ruby throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), acadian flycatcher
(Empidonax virescens), pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), hermit thrush (Catharus guttatu),
cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum), yellow-throated warbler (Geothlypis trichas), opossum
(Didelphis virginiana), gray squirrel, raccoon, gray fox, bobcat, and white-tailed deer.
The Human Dimension
Population & Growth
Data from the United States Census Bureau indicates that the human population in the state of Florida
reached 18.8 million in 2010, a 17.6 percent increase from the 16 million recorded during the 2000
Census (Table 6-9). Approximately 20 percent of this increase is attributable to births outnumbering
deaths while approximately 80 percent is attributable to net migration (FDEP 2010). In those 25 coastal
counties with an established CCCL, which account for 64.2 percent of Florida’s total population, there
was a somewhat smaller increase in growth (13.9 percent) during that period.
The Northeast Region had the fastest growth (18.2 percent) of any region in the Plan Area over the last
decade, and with a current population of 1.7 million, accounts for 14.2 percent of the total population in
all CCCL counties combined (Table 6-9). The largest county in the Northeast Region is Duval, with a
population of 864,263. Over the last decade, it had the slowest growth (11.0 percent) of any county in
the region. Flagler County, the smallest of the five counties comprising the Northeast Region (95,696),
was the fastest-growing county (92.0 percent), not only in the region but in the entire Plan Area. More
specifically, Palm Coast in Flagler County was identified as the fastest growing of all 366 metro areas
included in the United States in 2010 census.
The Panhandle Region saw the least growth (10.7 percent) of any region in the Plan Area (Table 6-9).
With a population of 881,120, it currently accounts for only 7.3 percent of the total population in all
CCCL counties combined. Walton and Santa Rosa Counties showed the fastest growth in the region
(35.6 percent and 28.6 percent, respectively), while Escambia had the slowest (1.1 percent). The three
least populous counties within the entire Plan Area (Franklin, Gulf, and Walton) are all found in the
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Panhandle Region. Franklin, with a population of 11,549, is the smallest. Escambia County (297,619)
is the largest county in the Panhandle Region.
The Southeast Region, with a 2010 population of 6.6 million, is the largest of all HCP regions and
accounts for over half of the total population in all CCCL counties combined (Table 6-9). Within the
Southeast Region, the fastest growth (44.2 percent) by far occurred in St. Lucie County, while the
slowest was in Broward County (7.7 percent). Indian River (138,028) and Martin Counties (146,318)
currently have the smallest populations in the region, while Miami-Dade (2.5 million) has the largest.
There is a considerable disparity in population densities within the Southeast Region. The four
northernmost counties have a combined population of only 1.1 million, whereas approximately 5.6
million people inhabit the three southernmost counties. Those three counties account for 46.1 percent of
the entire population in all CCCL counties combined. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach
metro area (Miami-Dade and Broward Counties) is among the 10 most populous metro areas
nationwide.
The Gulf Region of the HCP Plan Area has a current population of 2.8 million and accounts for 23
percent of the total population in all CCCL counties combined (Table 6-9). It also contains the only two
CCCL counties, Monroe and Pinellas, that showed negative growth over the last decade (-8.2 percent
and -0.5 percent, respectively). Pinellas County, with a population of 916,542 is the largest county in
the Gulf Region, while Monroe (73,090) is the smallest. Lee County (618,754) had the fastest growth
rate (40.3 percent) in the region, and the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area of Lee County was the
second fastest growing metro area in the state.
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Table 6-9. Current populations and population growth trends for the 25 CCCL
counties included in the Florida Beaches Habitat Conservation Plan Area.
Region
County
Panhandle
Gulf
Southeast
Northeast
NASSAU
DUVAL
ST JOHNS
FLAGLER
VOLUSIA
Total Northeast Region
BREVARD
INDIAN RIVER
ST LUCIE
MARTIN
PALM BEACH
BROWARD
MIAMI-DADE
Total Southeast Region
MONROE
COLLIER
LEE
CHARLOTTE
SARASOTA
MANATEE
PINELLAS
Total Gulf Region
FRANKLIN
GULF
BAY
WALTON
OKALOOSA
SANTA ROSA
ESCAMBIA
Total Panhandle Region
Total Plan Area
Total Florida State
1
2010 Population1
Percent Change Since 20002
73,314
864,263
190,039
95,696
494,593
1,717,905
543,376
138,028
277,789
146,318
1,320,134
1,748,066
2,496,435
6,670,146
73,090
321,520
618,754
159,978
379,448
322,833
916,542
2,792,165
11,549
15,863
168,852
55,043
180,822
151,372
297,619
881,120
12,061,336
18,801,310
27.1%
11.0%
54.3%
92.0%
11.6%
18.2%
14.1%
22.2%
44.2%
15.5%
16.7%
7.7%
10.8%
12.7%
-8.2%
27.9%
40.3%
13.0%
16.4%
22.3%
-0.5%
15.1%
4.4%
19.0%
13.9%
35.6%
6.1%
28.6%
1.1%
10.7%
13.9%
17.6%
Source: 2010 U.S. Census (http://www.ledgerdata.com/census/florida/, accessed 6/5/13)
2
Source: 2000 U.S. Census (http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml,
accessed 6/5/13)
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Archaeological & Cultural Resources
The Plan Area contains numerous archaeological and cultural resources. The native inhabitants of
Florida left numerous shell middens (ancient refuse mounds), many of which have probably been
inundated by the sea or lost to urban development; however, more continue to be discovered along
Florida's coastline (Milanich 1994). Shell middens containing evidence of tools, bones, pottery, and
other cultural remains are invaluable archaeological resources and can provide information regarding the
use of the coast, diet, behavior, and activities of early inhabitants.
While archaeological sites are present throughout the Plan Area, it appears that coastal middens are most
prevalent in the Northeast and Gulf Regions (FDEP, http://www.dep.state.fl.us/parks/bncr/cultural.htm,
accessed 6/5/13). Within the Northeast Region, shell middens are present in all counties, with many of
the documented sites occurring within state parks (Duval, St. Johns, and Flagler Counties) and on
Federal lands (e.g., the Canaveral National Seashore in Volusia County). There are also numerous
archaeological sites inland from the CCCL in St. Johns, Flagler, and Volusia Counties. In the Gulf
Region, a few pre-Columbian shell mounds are known to be present within the Plan Area within Lee and
Charlotte Counties. In the Panhandle Region, shell mounds are known to be present in Franklin, Bay,
and Walton Counties. Within the Southeast Region, pre-Columbian mounds can be found in MiamiDade County within the Oleta River State Park. Another shell mound is present just west of the Plan
Area within the Indian Mound archaeological site in Dubois Park, Palm Beach County. The sites noted
above are not inclusive; shell middens generally can be found within 91 m (100 yds) of any major water
source (B. Johnson, Florida Archaeological Services, personnel communication 2013). Threats posed to
cultural resources within the Plan Area include unauthorized archaeological exploration and collection,
excavation and destruction associated with urban development, recreational activities, inundation caused
by projected sea level rise, and storm activity.
State and Federal parks are located in every county within the Plan Area. In addition to the previously
described shell middens, some contain historical military forts (e.g., Fort Clinch State Park and Fort
Matanzas National Monument located in Nassau and St. Johns Counties, respectively) and museums
(McLarty Treasure Museum and Sebastian Fishing Museum, both located in Sebastian Inlet State Park,
Indian River County).
There are a number of historic shipwrecks representing underwater archaeological treasures present in
Florida, primarily in the Southeast and Panhandle Regions (National Park Service,
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/flshipwrecks/floridamap.htm, accessed 6/5/13). Within the Southeast
Region, Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin Counties comprise the Treasure Coast. As its name implies,
numerous Spanish galleons carrying treasures back to Europe went down along this stretch of coast
during storms. Doubloons and other treasures have been found along the shoreline following the
passage of present-day storm events that uncover previously buried artifacts. Professional salvage
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operations continue along this stretch of coast to this day. Known shipwreck sites are located along the
coast in Indian River, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties. In the Panhandle
Region, shipwreck sites can be found in Bay, Walton, Santa Rosa, and Escambia Counties. In the Gulf
Region, shipwrecks can be found in Monroe and Manatee Counties.
Anthropogenic threats to these submerged maritime heritage resources include dredging-related
activities, burial by fill material from beach nourishment projects, increased turbidity levels near
dredging and disposal sites, anchoring and looting by treasure hunters, and damage caused by bottom
trawlers used by commercial fishers. Environmental threats to these sites include strong currents and
storm events, both of which can scatter artifacts over a large area.
Coastal Land Uses and Development Patterns
Existing Development
Statewide View
Florida has 20 major population centers and 15 of them are located in coastal counties around a bay, an
estuary or at the mouth of a river that flows into the ocean. Over 75 percent of the Florida population
lives in coastal counties (FOCC 2010).
The December 2005 “Update to a 1992 Assessment of Florida’s Remaining Coastal Upland Natural
Communities” by FNAI (Johnson and Gulledge 2005) described changes in several hundred coastal sites
around the state. The updated report documented that of the 19,478 acres of privately owned coastal
upland acreage in natural condition in 1989-1992, 7,479 acres (38 percent) remained undeveloped in
2004, 7,151 acres (37 percent) were acquired by public agencies (or non-profit conservation
organizations) and remained in natural condition, and 4,849 acres (25 percent) were developed
(including 53 acres which were acquired by public agencies and developed for public access, parking
lots, roads, and other uses).
The state of Florida has approximately 367,000 coastal properties or those parcels seaward of the nearest
shore-parallel road (NOEP 2008). Statewide, approximately 70 percent of coastal real estate is
residential with approximately 60 percent of these properties classified as cooperative or condominium.
Commercial properties constitute approximately 4 percent of the coastal parcels and of these
approximately 70 percent are hotels and lodging facilities. Approximately 9 percent of coastal
properties are vacant; 4 percent are institutional (not-for-profit enterprises); 8 percent are government;
and 5 percent are miscellaneous (agricultural, dunes and submerged lands).
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The value of coastal properties, as determined by county property appraisers for the purposes of property
tax collection, is again dominated by residential parcels (NOEP 2008). Eighty-two (82) percent of
Florida’s coastal property value is from residential land uses, while 7 percent of property value is from
commercial parcels. Vacant and government-owned properties each account for approximately 5
percent of totaled coastal property values.
Of the 82 percent of property value accounted for by residential parcels, approximately 60 percent is
attributed to condominiums and cooperatives, 36 percent is attributed to single-family parcels, and 4
percent is attributed to miscellaneous residential parcels (multi-family and mobile home properties;
NOEP 2008).
Regional Descriptions
The Northeast Region consists of the five counties in the northeast corner of the state ranging
southwards through Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, Flagler and Volusia counties. This region contains about
13 percent of the total number of statewide coastal properties and approximately 11 percent of the state’s
coastal property value.
The Southeast Region extends from Brevard County in the north to Miami-Dade County in the south.
This region accounts for nearly half (47 percent) of the total number of statewide coastal properties
(NOEP 2008). These properties correspondingly carry 45 percent of the total statewide coastal property
value.
The Southwest Region extends from Pinellas County in the north to Monroe County in the south. This
region accounts for just over one-fifth (21 percent) of the total number of statewide coastal properties
(NOEP 2008). These properties correspondingly carry 27 percent of the total statewide coastal property
value.
The Northwest Region extends from Escambia County in the west to Wakulla County in the east. This
region accounts for nearly one-fifth (17 percent) of the total number of statewide coastal properties
(NOEP 2008). These properties correspondingly carry 16 percent of the total statewide coastal property
value.
The Big Bend Region extends from Jefferson County in the west to Pasco County in the south. This
region accounts for a relatively small amount (2 percent) of the total number of statewide coastal
properties (NOEP 2008). These properties correspondingly carry 1 percent of the total statewide coastal
property value.
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The Northeast, Southeast and Southwest Regions have comparable distributions between residential,
commercial and “other” (institutional, government and miscellaneous) uses. In each of these three
regions, between 80 and 85 percent of coastal properties are residential and between 5 and 10 percent
are commercial (NOEP 2008). “Other” uses account for between 10 and 15 percent of the coastal
properties.
The Northwest Region is significantly different in that approximately 65 percent of the properties are
residential and approximately 30 percent are “other” (NOEP 2008). The larger proportion of “other” use
in the Northwest Region is mainly attributable to large military tracts of land that occupy the coastal
properties. The Big Bend Region has residential and “other” uses proportionally in between the
Southern and Northwest Regions, but has a significantly lower proportion of commercial properties on
the coast, at less than 5 percent.
Future Development
Approximately 10 percent of the coastal properties in Florida are vacant (NOEP 2008). These vacant
properties contain much valuable habitat within the jurisdiction of the CCCL and, dependent on their
designated future land use, have different potential for development and associated impacts to habitat in
the future. The future land use for all vacant parcels within CCCL jurisdiction was catalogued during
preparation of the FBHCP and is summarized in Table 6-10. The grouping of land uses under
Residential & Commercial and Parks & Conservation is meant to segregate those vacant properties
likely to have high impacts to habitat, if developed (Residential & Commercial), and those likely to have
low or no impacts to habitat in the future if developed under the Parks & Conservation land use
designation.
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Table 6-10. Future Land Use for all Vacant Parcels.
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Economic Importance of Beaches
Recreation and Tourism
The state of Florida is a leader in domestic and international tourism. Florida boasts an abundance of
natural and manmade attractions, including its number one attraction, its beaches. Beaches provide
multiple benefits to the state including: enhancing property values; providing protection from storm
surges; habitat for plants, animals and recreation; employment; wages; and income for citizens. Tourism
in Florida is the top-rated industry in the state with an estimated 87.3 million visitors to the state in
2011, an increase of 6.1 percent over 2010 figures. The industry directly employs over one million
people and contributes about $67.2 billion in tourism/recreation taxable sales per year, generating
approximately 20.6 percent of the state’s sales tax revenue (www.visitflorida.com, accessed 6/5/13).
The four regions within the FBHCP Plan Area all have a significant tourism and recreational beach use
component in their economies. The two regions with the highest percentage of employees in the Leisure
and Hospitality Sector are the Northeast Region with 16.1 percent and the Gulf Region with 16.9
percent. The top two counties with employees in the Leisure & Hospitality Sector are Monroe with 32.3
percent (Gulf Region) and Miami-Dade with 24.8 percent (Southeast Region; Table 6-11). Both of
these counties attract primarily beach-oriented tourists. In comparison to these figures, Florida state
figures show an average of 12.7 percent in the Leisure and Hospitality Sector.
In 2007, coastal hotels and motels in the Southeast Region had a property value of $3.9 billion (60
percent of the total of all regions; NOEP 2008). The Gulf Region had the second largest share at 21.5
percent.
The Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research (EDR) is a research arm of the Legislature
principally concerned with forecasting economic and social trends affecting policy making, revenues,
and appropriations. The EDR holds an annual Florida Economic Estimating Conference (FEEC) and
develops long-run tables with informed estimates that include the number of predicted Florida visitors
through 2020. The latest FEEC conference was held February 21, 2011 and predicted that visitation in
the state would grow from 85,439 in 2010-2011 to 112,950 visitors in 2019-2020. These visitors will be
concentrated heavily in the beach communities and Plan Area counties (EDR website,
http://edr.state.fl.us/Content/conferences/fleconomic/index.cfm, accessed 9/12/11).
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Table 6-11. Percent of Employment in Leisure and Hospitality by FBHCP Region.
Northeast Region Counties
% Employees In Leisure And Hospitality
NASSAU
23.2
DUVAL
9.7
ST. JOHNS
20.4
FLAGLER
13.2
VOLUSIA
13.8
Average
16.06%
Southeast Region Counties
% Employees In Leisure And Hospitality
BREVARD
10.9
INDIAN RIVER
13.2
ST. LUCIE
10.4
MARTIN
13.7
PALM BEACH
13.7
BROWARD
11.0
MIAMI DADE
24.8
Average
14.00%
Gulf Region Counties
% Employees In Leisure And Hospitality
MONROE
32.3
COLLIER
18.5
LEE
15.3
CHARLOTTE
14.2
SARASOTA
14.6
MANATEE
11.9
PINELLAS
11.2
Average
16.85%
Panhandle Region Counties
% Employees In Leisure And Hospitality
FRANKLIN
20.2
GULF
11.2
BAY
16.7
WALTON
23.4
OKALOOSA
15.5
SANTA ROSA
13.1
ESCAMBIA
10.9
Average for Plan Area
15.9%
Source: EDR 2011, County Profiles.
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Beach Attendance
General Beach Use
One study by the National Ocean Economics Program (NOEP) categorized three user groups for Florida
beaches: out-of-state tourists; in-state tourists traveling more than 50 miles from home; and local
residents. Surveys of out-of-state tourists and in-state tourists provided a basis for estimating annual
beach activity days (person days) spent by these two groups of users in the NOEP report (2008). Note
that the report does not use actual counts of beach attendance, but uses estimates made by using
available data (Figure 6-3).
The number of person days devoted to beach-going on Florida’s beaches totaled 103.5 million person
days in 2003 and reached 120.2 million in 2006 before falling back to 106.7 million in 2007. The
Southeast Region led other regions in beach use, at 40.2 million person days in 2007, with a high of 57.6
million person days in 2006. The decline in person days in 2004 occurred primarily along the state’s
Gulf Coast and may have reflected the occurrence of category 4 Hurricanes Charley and Ivan. The
sharp dip in 2007 activity days occurred in the Southeast Region at a time of state economic recession
and sharply higher gasoline prices. Furthermore from 2000 to 2010, the total number of beach access
points increased from 1,692 to 2,142 – a 26.6 percent increase (FDEP 2010).
Figure 6-3. Estimated Beach Activity Days by Region, 2003 – 2007. Source: NOEP 2008.
The 2009 Florida Coastal Issues Survey asked respondents to identify those activities they are most
likely to engage in when visiting coastal areas. The four most frequently performed activities are
sunbathing, swimming/surfing, photography/birding/shelling, and picnicking, at rates of 79, 68, 62 and
61 percent, respectively (FDEP 2010). The top three most frequent activities (sunbathing,
swimming/surfing, and photography/birding/shelling) remained the same as those identified in the 1999
Florida Coastal Issues Survey; however, their rank order was reversed. Other frequent activities (with
greater than 40 percent of affirmative responses) included visiting cultural sites and fishing.
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State Beach Park Use
Attendance at Florida state beach parks varies by Plan Region, but shows the average use of beaches at
the State Parks at over 11 million visits per year (Figure 6-4). In fiscal year (FY) 2007, the Florida
system of State Parks provided a direct economic impact of over $936,000,000 to local economies
throughout the state. For every 1,000 persons attending a State Park, total direct economic impact
exceeded $43,200. The beach parks in the Southeast Region attracted the most visits, at over 5.4 million
visits in FY 2006-2007. The region with the second highest attendance at the beach parks is the
Southwest or Gulf Region at 3.6 million visits in FY 2006-2007 (NOEP 2008).
Figure 6-4. Florida State Parks Attendance by Plan Region, FY2003 – FY 2007. Source: NOEP 2008.
Tax Base
Information for this section is partially extracted from the 2008 NOEP report, which defined coastal
property as a parcel that is seaward of the nearest shore-parallel road. For most of Florida, this
definition encompasses shorefront property plus one to two tiers of parcels inland from the shoreadjacent parcel. This definition permitted an identification of parcels using geographic information
systems (GIS) applied to the Florida property tax records.
Florida’s 367,000 coastal properties were valued for tax purposes in 2006 at $181 billion, yielding $2
billion in property tax revenues. Coastal parcels made up 7.5 percent of the value of all real estate in
Florida. From 2002-2006, the number of coastal parcels grew by about 10 percent, but the value of
parcels more than doubled, which reflected the strong demand for coastal real estate in the early part of
this decade. In 2007, the average market value of a coastal single family home was $913,527. The
average value of a coastal condominium or cooperative was $427,906 (NOEP 2008).
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Figure 6-5 gives the 2007 average coastal property values for the Plan Area. The Northwest area
equates to the FBHCP Panhandle Plan Area and the Southwest region in the chart equates to the FBHCP
Gulf Region. The Big Bend region is not a part of the FBHCP Plan Area.
In 2007, the Southeast Region accounted for the largest share of property tax revenues from coastal
parcels. This region includes the major metropolitan areas of southern Florida. The Southwest or
FBHCP Gulf Region had the highest average coastal property value ($870,382), but the Southeast
Region had the highest residential value, reflecting the strong demand for shore property in urban areas.
The high values of urban coastal property are also reflected in the fact that the coastal properties of the
Southeast Region accounted for more than half of the value of all the property taxes paid of all Florida
coastal property.
Among the coastal counties, Collier County in the Southwest or FBHCP Gulf Region had the highest
average parcel value in 2007 of $1,681,110. Bay County in the Northwest or FBHCP Panhandle Region
had the highest proportion of its property values located in the coastal area (41 percent). The largest
coastal property value growth in the FBHCP Plan Area was Flagler County (200 percent) in the
Northeast Region. Commercial coastal properties have the highest value in all regions of Florida.
Figure 6-5. Distribution of Average Coastal Property Values by Coastal Region, 2007. Source: NOEP 2008.
Coastal properties in the southern half of the state pay a larger share of property taxes than do coastal
properties in the northern regions. About one-half of the property taxes in the Southeast Region are paid
by coastal properties; coastal properties account for more than one-quarter of the taxes in the Southwest
or Gulf FBHCP region. The coastal properties in the state paid more than $2.4 billion in property taxes
in 2008. The Southeast Region paid $1 billion and the Southwest or FBHCP Gulf Region paid more
than $500 million (Figure 6-6). Regionally, the Southeast Region paid the highest proportion of taxes at
50 percent of the total; the Southwest Region paid 28 percent; the Northeast Region paid 12 percent; the
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Northwest Region paid 10 percent; and the Big Bend Region paid less than one-half percent (NOEP
2008).
Figure 6-6. Property Tax Revenues from Coastal Parcels by Region. Source: NOEP 2008.
Coastal Stewardship
Community Contribution
Florida benefits from a coastal community that has significantly increased its environmental stewardship
activities over the past 10 years (FDEP 2010). According to the 2009 Florida Coastal Issues Survey, the
percentage of respondents indicating they had “…been involved in hands-on coastal community
activities such as coastal cleanups, water quality monitoring, dune revegetation, etc...” increased from 17
percent in 1999 to 39 percent in 2009. When asked which specific activities they engaged in, 25 percent
of respondents indicated participation in an annual coastal cleanup event, 10 percent participated in
turtle watch/nest count programs, and 9 percent participated in non-native plant removal. The next three
most popular stewardship activities (all tied at 8 percent of respondents) included dune plantings,
environmental monitoring, and marine mammal stranding and rescue. Compared to the 1999 Florida
Coastal Issues Survey, all these stewardship activities enjoyed an increase in participation by a range of
5 to 10 percent.
However, stewardship is not limited to participation in the above-mentioned activities. Financial
contribution via purchase of specialty license plates is another form of stewardship. Purchasing
specialty license plates allows citizens to make a statement about an issue they consider important (by
placement of the plate on their vehicle) and contribute funds to a specific cause or organization (by
payment of the additional fee to obtain the specialty plate). Florida’s specialty license plate program
included 120 license plates at the end of 2010, 17 of which were environmentally focused (FDEP 2010).
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Of the 17 environmentally focused plates, five focused on issues related to the FBHCP. These five are
listed below along with their total net revenue for fiscal years 2000 – 2009:





Conserve Wildlife - $24,485,346;
Helping Sea Turtles Survive - $12,664,206;
Protect Our Reefs - $5,040,811;
Discover Florida Oceans - $1,458,675; and
Save Our Seas - $2,611,770.
Community Views
It is important to understand the impact the coastal community has in protecting the coastal environment
through its demonstrated willingness to volunteer time and contribute money to local causes. The 2009
Florida Coastal Issues Survey asked respondents to designate eight coastal issues as very important,
somewhat important, not important or don’t know. The list of the 8 coastal issues below is ranked by
the percentage of respondents that designated the issue as very important (FDEP 2010):








Coastal Hazards – 80 percent;
Environmental Quality – 79 percent;
Protection of Ocean Resources – 76 percent;
Marine Debris – 65 percent;
Public Access – 61 percent;
Preservation of Waterfront Communities – 57 percent;
Energy Facility and Government Facility Siting – 49 percent; and
Aquaculture – 47 percent.
Another survey by Florida Sea Grant in 2008 requested prioritization of coastal issues. This survey was
based on the input of 785 stakeholders and citizens that had knowledge of Florida coastal issues, either
through participation in the Florida Sea Grant advisory committee or education by the University of
Florida’s Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute or Florida Master Naturalist Program –
Coastal Module (FDEP 2010). The top eight ranked coastal issues, in order of prioritization, are listed
below:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
Water Resources.
Environmental Human Impact Awareness.
Restrict Shorefront Development.
Identify/Protect Essential Marine Habitats.
Protect Beaches/Shorefront Ecosystems.
Species Protection (Manatees, Dolphins, Turtles, Birds).
Habitat Restoration (Dunes, Mangroves, Seagrass, Reefs).
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(8) Fisheries Management Stock Enhancement/Limits/Zones.
Plan Area Physical Characterization
Geomorphology and Coastal Processes
Florida’s marine forces have been the dominant factor in shaping its land surface. When the sea covered
Florida, the shallow marine currents and their associated erosion and deposition shaped the shallow
seabed with subsequent erosional forces modifying this geometry. Ancient seas left behind extensive
flat plains and scarps where old coastlines were cut into the uplands. The coastal areas of Florida are
composed of negative features such as estuaries and lagoons, and positive features such as barrier
islands, coastal ridges, and relict spits and bars, with intervening coast-parallel valleys.
The majority of the Florida east coast and the middle section of the west coast are marine depositional
coasts dominated by barrier beaches, barrier islands and spits, and overwash fans (Randazzo and Jones
1997). From the Ochlocknee River west to Port St. Joe, along the Apalachicola river delta, the coast is
dominated by barrier islands. Farther west, to the Alabama state line, drowned estuaries are bordered by
barrier beaches and spits.
Southeast and Northeast Regions
The Coastal Engineering Research Center (CERC) of the USACE surveyed the Inner Continental Shelf
off eastern Florida to obtain information on bottom morphology and sediments, subbottom structure, and
sand deposits suitable for restoration of nearby beaches. Primary survey data consists of seismic
reflection profiles and sediment cores. That part of the survey area comprising the Inner Shelf between
Palm Beach and Cape Kennedy was characterized in a report (Meisburger and Duane 1971). The survey
found that sediment on beaches adjacent to the study area consisted of quartzose sand and shell
fragments. The median size of midtide samples generally range between 0.3 to 0.5 mm (1.74 to 1.0 phi)
diameters. The Shelf in the study area is a submerged sedimentary plain of low relief. Ridge-like shoals
generally of medium-to- coarse (0.25 to 1.00 mm) calcareous sand contain material suitable for beach
restoration (Meisburger and Duane 1971).
A second study for CERC by Meisburger and Field (1975) depicted the geomorphology of the Florida
Atlantic coast from Cape Canaveral to Fernandina Beach near the Georgia border. This study found that
the northern Florida continental shelf is a submerged coastal-plain surface ranging in width from15 mi
(25 km) off Cape Canaveral to 68 mi (110 km) near Georgia. Seismic-reflection profiles of the shallow
subbottom to 152 m (500 ft) below the sea floor show six distinct reflection units and five prominent
reflectors of regional significance. The lower two units rise southward to a truncated high off the
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Daytona Beach area. Samples of the upper four reflection units show that the lowest unit is composed
of compact greenish-gray mud; overlying units are dominantly quartz sand.
During the last several thousand years, finer type sediments in the littoral system have been transported
seaward overlaying the shoreface and the innermost shelf floor. Outside of the littoral and shoreface
zones, there appears to be little modern sedimentation taking place. Reworking of surface sands of the
Inner Shelf by waves and currents with continuing transportation and redeposition of winnowed fine
grain sands is occurring. Since few streams discharge on the north Florida Atlantic coast, beach and
nearshore sands are most likely derived from shore erosion and littoral transport of fluvial sand
southward from sources along the Georgia coast. Net littoral transport in southeast Florida is southward.
Studies of the southern Atlantic Shelf indicate that shelf sediment transport parallel to the shore may not
be an important process. Thus, movement, if any, is probably in a general onshore-offshore direction
(Meisburger and Field 1975).
Panhandle and Gulf Regions
The 400 km-long (249 mi) stretch of coast along the northeastern Gulf of Mexico from Dog Island,
Florida, to Morgan Point, Alabama, exhibits highly variable coastal deposits ranging from (1) late
Holocene beach-ridge plains located along the Apalachicola protuberance and much of the Alabama
coast; (2) a number of late Holocene, overwash-dominated barrier islands and baymouth barriers
interspersed along the entire stretch of coast; and (3) a late Pleistocene barrier complex located between
Saint Andrew and Choctawhatchee Bays.
In 2006, FDEP issued a report containing a geomorphologic and sediment characterization of the
southwest Florida coast (URS and CPE 2006). The area covered by this report extends from Pasco
County in the north to Collier County in the south. The southwest Florida barrier/inlet system is a
mixed energy coastal system that is morphologically diverse as a result of a complicated interaction
between relatively small tidal ranges (<1 m; 3.3 ft) and a mean wave height of 30-50 cm (12-20 in).
This Gulf coastal area has the most diverse morphology of any barrier island system in the world,
containing about 29 barrier islands and 34 tidal inlets along approximately 300 km (186 mi) of shore
(Davis 1997). The geomorphological framework of the central west coast is summarized as having both
wave-dominated and mixed energy barrier island morphologies with islands ranging from 2 km (1 mi) to
more than 30 km (19 mi) in length. Inlets range from tide-dominated through mixed energy to wavedominated. Washovers are common along this coastal area.
The wave climate is mild with mean annual wave heights fluctuating from 0.3 to 0.5 m (1.0 to 1.6 ft)
with short mean wave periods ranging from four to five seconds (Davis et al. 2003). Net littoral drift is
from north to south. Net littoral drift rates range from 30,000 to 75,000 y3/yr (Taylor Engineering 2002).
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Drift and current reversals are commonly observed downdrift of tidal inlets. This phenomenon is
particularly true for large tide-dominated inlets that have large and well-developed ebb tidal shoals.
Topography
Topography of FBHCP Regions
In conducting a CCCL analysis to determine the location of a CCCL, the FDEP considers the following
topographic factors on a county by county basis: the most recently measured dune elevations, foreshore
slopes, offshore slopes, beach widths, adjacent profiles, upland development and vegetation-bluff lines.
These factors can vary considerably even within a county and certainly great variation occurs on a
region by region basis (FSU, http://beach10.beaches.fsu.edu/download/cccl). Tables 6-12 through 6-15
give a summary of the topography of each of the four FBHCP regions.
Panhandle Region Topography
The Panhandle of Florida, in general, has hilly topography and erosive soils and an average of 152.4 cm
(60 in) of rain per year, much of it in the form of torrential downpours (Santa Rosa County Task Force
on Stormwater Runoff 2002). The fifteen-county Panhandle Region comprises over 200.4 km (124.5
mi) of beach shorefront applicable to the CCCL program. The most stable beaches and dune systems
are found in Okaloosa County. Dune height varies greatly within the region with the highest dunes, up
to 12 m (40 ft), located in Walton County. In some parts of the region, the dune system is noncontinuous and washovers are not uncommon (Table 6-12).
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County
ESCAMBIA
PERDIDO KEY
SANTA ROSA
ISLAND
WALTON
BAY
OKALOOSA
GULF
FRANKLIN
Table 6-12. Panhandle Region Topography.
Beach Length
Beach/Island Width
Beach/Dune Condition
Perdido Key = Dunes are discrete
Perdido Key =.5 mi. wide
41 mi.
mounds w/ low elevation
Santa Rosa = .25 mi.wide
Santa Rosa = Dunes 9-20 ft. high
Discrete mounds with low elevation,
50-100 ft on average
13 mi
except at Gulf Beach
Island is 0.5 mi wide
Average height = 20 ft
100-125 ft on average
28 mi
Dunes vary in height from 9-20 ft
Island is 0.25 mi wide
Dune height = 12-40 ft
Broad/well-developed
Areas of broken dune ridges < 10 ft
25 mi
Beaches
in height
Artificial dunes common
Mainland beaches on
Shell Island & Crooked Island very
33 mi
west and east & barrier
low and narrow, exhibiting
(non-federal)
island in middle
washovers
9 mi
(Santa Rosa
Gulf of Mexico beaches stable and
Island & beach
Wide nourished beaches backed by dunes averaging 16 feet in
from East Pass to
height
east county line)
6 mi
Non-continuous dunes with low
(St. Joseph’s Spit
0.5 mi average width
profile elevation toward south end of
to Cape San Blas)
spit
Dog Island generally low in
6.8 mi
Generally wide beach
elevation; higher dunes in limited
segments
Gulf Region Topography
The six counties within the Gulf Region of the FBHCP have over 277 km (172 mi) of beaches under the
CCCL program. In general these beaches are narrow and, in some cases, relatively steep. Dune
elevation is less than 3m (10 ft) in most cases (Table 6-13).
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Table 6-13. Gulf Region Topography
County
Beach Length
PINELLAS
35.4 mi
MANATEE
13 mi
SARASOTA
CHARLOTTE
LEE
COLLIER
35 mi
(Five barrier
islands and one
section of
mainland)
14 mi
(Three barrier
islands)
47 mi
(Nine barrier
islands)
28 mi
(Barrier island
beaches)
Beach/Island Width
Beaches vary in width
from 0 to 350 ft
Numerous keys &
barrier islands from
200-2,000 ft in width
Beaches are narrow
Barrier islands 100 ft to
1.3 mi in width;
mainland beaches
average 100 ft in width
Beaches are narrow,
200-2,000 ft in width &
relatively steep
Islands are 200 ft wide
at the narrows to 13,000
ft. at Sanibel Island
Northern 17 mi of
barrier beaches are
narrow & relatively
steep
Beach/Dune Condition
Elevation averages from 5-10 ft above
MLW. Honeymoon & Caladesi Islands
are low & in natural state without coastal
development; other islands and keys have
been nourished and some have seawalls
Beaches are low with elevation generally
less than 10 ft
Elevations usually under 10 ft
Elevations from 5-8 ft
Manasota Key higher with maximum
dune height of 10-12 ft
Elevations are generally under 10 ft
Northern 17 mi of barrier beaches have
average dune elevation of 8ft
South barrier beaches average 7ft in dune
elevation
Southeast Region Topography
No discernable relief exists south of Lake Okeechobee in southwest Florida. The land is virtually flat.
Almost all of the land is at elevations of less than 5 m (15 ft) and much of it is less than 3 m (10 ft). The
Everglades (mostly a freshwater marsh) runs down the middle of South Florida from Lake Okeechobee
to Florida Bay. The Everglades is essentially a very shallow, broad river that dominates the watershed
and is a major source of recharge water for the Biscayne Aquifer, Southeast Florida’s primary water
source. Approximately 29 percent of urban Broward County is below 2 m (5 ft) elevation (Florida
Atlantic University 2009).
Over 365 km (227 mi) of beaches are present in this seven-county region of the Plan Area (FDEP BBCS
website, accessed March 2008). The barrier strips in the Southeast Region are generally narrow with the
exception of nourished beaches in Miami-Dade County and the 2 km (1.3 mi) average width of the
barriers in Indian River County. The dune elevations are their highest in the south end of Brevard
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County (8 m; 25 ft) and in the middle and south end of Martin County (7 m; 24 feet). Lower elevations
are prevalent in the northern end of each county’s barrier system (Table 6-14).
Northeastern Florida Topography
The Northeastern Region of Florida is one of varied natural, geographical, and topographical
environments. The region is a part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and contains an assorted mix of land
cover types that span from coastal marshes to upland hammocks and scrub areas. On the eastern edge of
the zone lie the coastal areas of Flagler, St. Johns, Duval, and Nassau Counties, along the Atlantic
Ocean. Within these four counties, the coastal areas are highly diverse and cannot be depicted just as
open-ocean shoreline. A strip of coastal ridges, separating the Atlantic Ocean from a narrow lagoon
system and the mainland, characterizes Northeast Florida’s major coastal area, the Upper East Coast
Basin. The Intracoastal Waterway connects the lagoon system in the basin. The other major coastal
areas in the region are the St. Mary’s River Basin and the Nassau River Basin, both of which are
characterized by extensive marsh and wetland areas (Postal et al. 2010).
The five counties in the Northeast Region contain over 209 km (130 mi) of CCCL beaches. Barrier
island width varies from the narrowest at 152 m (500 ft) in St. Johns and Volusia Counties to 4.0-4.8 km
(2.5-3.0 mi) in Duval and St. Johns Counties. St. Johns County has both some of the lowest (2 m; 6 ft)
and highest (13 m; 44 ft) dune elevations (Table 6-15).
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Table 6-14. Southeast Region Topography.
County
Beach Length
Beach/Island Width
BREVARD
40 mi-long barrier
island
Beaches are narrow
INDIAN
RIVER
ST. LUCIE
22 mi-long barrier
island
6 mi barrier island from
north county line to Ft.
Pierce Inlet;
15 mi barrier island
between Ft. Pierce Inlet
and south county line
MARTIN
21 mi shoreline of 2
barrier islands
(7 mi Hutchinson
Island, 14 mi Jupiter
Island)
PALM
BEACH
Northern coastal barrier
island is approximately
13.8 mi in length.
Palm Beach section of
island is approximately
15.6 mi long.
Southernmost barrier
strip is 14.7 mi in
length.
Total length = 34.1 mi
Island is 150 ft to 1.3
mi wide
North of Ft. Pierce
Inlet – beaches are
narrow
Island from north
county line to St.
Lucie Inlet is narrow,
from 200-4,000 ft. in
width. Jupiter Island
varies in width from
200 ft - 1 mi
Northern coastal
barrier strip varies
from 300-7,500 ft in
width.
Palm Beach barrier
varies in width from
250-3,600 ft
Southern barrier varies
in width from 200 to
2,000 ft
BROWARD
24 mi in length
Island varies in width
from 300-7,500 ft
MIAMIDADE
21.4 mi from north
county line to south end
of Key Biscayne.
(Other keys north of
south county line not
included)
Barrier strip of Miami
Beach and other cities
varies in width from
0.2-1.2 mi
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Beach/Dune Condition
Dune elevation of 9-25 ft
Elevations low in northern end with
increasing elevation and beach
steepness southward
Beach elevations of 5-15 ft
North of Ft. Pierce Inlet, dune
elevations = 10-15 ft
On barrier island south of the inlet
dune elevations very low at north
end and increase to 15 ft at extreme
south end of county
Hutchinson Island elevations vary
from 9-21 ft
Northern end of Jupiter Island is
low, but dunes in middle and
southern parts reach 24 ft
Highest dunes are 50 ft in northern
coastal barrier island.
Dune height of southern barrier
island is up to 30 ft
Natural beach elevation is about 15
feet or lower except in northern part
from Palm Beach/Broward Co. line
to Hillsboro Inlet where elevation
may be as high as 23 ft
Average elevation along oceanside
is 10 ft.
Higher elevations occur on
oceanside and slopes downward
toward the bay. Fisher Island,
Virginia Key & Key Biscayne are
low in elevation.
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Table 6-15. Northeast Region Topography.
County
Beach
Length
Beach/Island Width
NASSAU
14.4 mi
(Amelia
Island)
Island width is approximately 2
mi
DUVAL
15.5 mi
(barrier
beach)
Barrier beach ranges in width
from 3,000-13,000 ft
ST.
JOHNS
41 mi
(barrier
beach)
FLAGLER
18 mi
(barrier
beach)
VOLUSIA
42 mi
(Two
barrier
beaches)
Barrier ridge range width is from
500 ft.-3 mi
Beaches are generally narrow.
Barrier island varies in width
from 750-7,500 ft
Beaches are narrow and steeply
sloping
Barrier islands vary in width from
500-6,000 ft with avgerage width
of 2,500 ft Beach width varies
from 30-300 ft with average
width of 170 ft
Beach/Dune Condition
North shoreline has low beach ridge
backed by sandy plain with light grass.
Dune elevations range from 10-15 ft.
Southern half of island has higher beach
ridges with dune elevations from 14-25
ft
Dune elevations vary from < 9 – over 25
ft with gaps in the dune ridge in many
places. South half of beaches are highly
developed while north beaches are
virtually undeveloped.
Dune elevations range from 6-44 ft
Dune elevation varies in height from 1023 ft
Central beach section – elevation
seaward of dune toe or seawall is
generally low.
Northern and southern beach sections –
beaches are steeper and narrower with
some scarp formation in seaward edge of
dunes.
Coastal Erosion
Causes of Erosion
Beach movement within Florida is governed by a complex interaction of physical beach characteristics
and sediment transport mechanisms. Physical mechanisms that can contribute to erosion primarily are a
function of waves, winds, currents and tides. In general erosion on the Gulf coast of Florida is attributed
to tropical storms, hurricanes, nor’easter storms, and to natural geomorphic changes caused by the
pattern of littoral transport of sand in this area (FDEP 2008b).
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Winds are capable of transporting sand directly off the dry beach. Winds also provide the principal
wave generating mechanism, which in turn transport sand cross-shore and longshore within the
subaqeuous regions of the beach.
The principal erosive influence of wave energy on beaches is through the littoral drift of sediment within
the nearshore zone. Wave energy is responsible for longshore sediment transport, which can either
remove or deposit sediments within the nearshore portion of the beach. Sediments in the nearshore
beach are mobilized through breaking wave energy dissipation, while the constant change in wave
energy generates surf zone currents that transport sediments along the shoreline. The volume of
longshore transport is dependent upon many factors, including wave height, period, and direction, as
well as sediment and beach profile characteristics (EAI 2011).
The erosive effects of wind, wave and storm surge are compounded by extra-tropical weather events.
Large wave heights, above-average water levels (i.e. storm surge), and strong on-shore winds associated
with hurricanes and other tropical events can cause exaggerated damage to the beach and dune system.
Eroded and Critically Eroded Beaches
By statute (sections 161.101 and 161.161, F.S.), the FDEP is required to designate eroding areas of
Florida’s coastline as “critically” or “non-critically” eroded. Only those areas which have erosion that
threatens public or private interests or infrastructure are designated as critically eroding. Some shoreline
areas are designated as “non-critically” eroding even though they may have significant historic or
contemporary erosion conditions, because the erosion processes do not currently threaten public or
private interests. These areas are monitored in case conditions do become critical. No Federal lands are
evaluated or classified by FDEP under this state classification system.
The 2011 FDEP inventory of “critically” eroded areas on the Florida coast was formulated based upon
an updated and modified definition of critical erosion. The following definition has been adopted by the
Bureau to identify critically eroded areas:
Critically eroded area is a segment of the shoreline where natural processes or human
activity have caused or contributed to erosion and recession of the beach or dune system
to such a degree that upland development, recreational interests, wildlife habitat, or
important cultural resources are threatened or lost. Critically eroded areas may also
include peripheral segments or gaps between identified critically eroded areas which,
although they may be stable or slightly erosional now, their inclusion is necessary for
continuity of management of the coastal system or for the design integrity of adjacent
beach management projects.
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The designation of a “critically” eroded beach is a planning requirement of the state of Florida's Beach
Management Funding Assistance Program. A segment of beach must first be designated as critically
eroded in order to be eligible for state funding for protection, preservation and restoration of the sandy
beaches fronting the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Straits of Florida. The FDEP (2011)
placed 640.4 km (397.9 mi) of critically eroding beaches and an additional 154.8 km (96.2 mi) of noncritically eroding beaches on the list. Extracting the erosion figures for the Plan Area, a total of 566 km
(352 mi) of beach in the Plan Area are critically eroding. An additional 147.1 km (91.4 mi) of beach are
classified as non-critically eroding within the Plan Area (Table 6-16). The Southeast Region has the
highest number of critically eroding miles of beaches at 228.7 km (142.1 mi). The lowest number of
critically eroding beaches is in the Northeast Region at 83.8 km (52.1 mi).
Table 6-16. Erosion Status for Shorelines within FBHCP Plan Areas.
Length of Beach (mi)
Critical Non critical
Panhandle
66.7
51.3
Gulf
98.8
15.6
Southeast
142.1
22.3
Northeast
52.1
2.2
Total
352.0
91.4
Region
Source: FDEP, BBCS, June 2012.
Erosion Trends
Short-term Trends - Critically and Non-critically Eroding Beaches
In 1989, the FDEP BBCS issued its first list of erosion areas under sections 161.10 and 161.161, F.S.
That list included 350.2 km (217.6 mi) of critical erosion and another 184.8 km (114.8 mi) of noncritical erosion statewide. Those numbers increased in 2011 to 638.9 km (397.0 mi) of critically eroded
beach and 156.9 km (97.5 mi) of non-critically eroded beach (Figure 6-7).
The erosion areas list has been revised almost annually since 1989. The list was first revised in 1990 to
include minor changes in the erosion problem areas for some counties in Northeast, Southeast and
Panhandle Regions and major changes were made in Monroe County as a result of a more detailed study
of the Florida Keys beaches conducted during 1989. The 1991 list included 366.1 km (227.5 mi) of
critical erosion and 196.5 km (122.1 mi) of non-critical erosion statewide.
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Figure 6-7. Florida Critically and Non-critically Eroded Beaches. Source: FDEP 2011.
The erosion list was revised in 1992 to include beaches that had been authorized for restoration. This
change added some segments and gaps between identified problem areas which, although they were
stable or slightly erosional, required nourishment for the design integrity of an authorized beach
restoration project. The 1993 list included 374.8 (232.9 mi) of critical erosion and 197.3 km (122.6 mi)
of non-critical erosion statewide. Significant increases in critically eroded areas were evident in several
counties on the Atlantic coast showing the combined impact of Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. On the
northern Gulf of Mexico coast with the impact of Hurricane Ivan, critically eroded segments were also
added in several more counties.
In 1994, 1995, and 1998 major storms caused significant changes in Florida’s shoreline. Three tropical
storms and a tropical depression affected Florida in 1994 and three hurricanes and a tropical storm
caused more impact in 1995. Following Hurricane Opal in 1995, an updated listing was compiled for
the Florida Panhandle Region that identified areas that not only had critical erosion, but also where there
remained a high degree of post-storm vulnerability.
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As a result of new investigations conducted in 1997 and 1998, an updated critical erosion list was issued
in October 1998. A post-Hurricane Earl and Georges Recovery Plan was prepared in January 1999.
The March 1999 critical erosion list included changes resulting from the impacts of Hurricanes Opal,
Earl and Georges, and lesser storms. The 2000 critical erosion list resulted from continued
investigations in 1999 including the significant effects from Hurricanes Floyd and Irene, and Tropical
Storm Harvey. Only a few additions were made to the 2001 erosion list. However, Tropical Storm
Gabrielle caused erosion in the fall of 2001 prompting the addition of some critical areas in the
Northeast Region for the 2002 erosion list. As a result of recovery in the Florida Panhandle since the
hurricanes of 1995 and 1998, a few areas in the Panhandle Region were removed from the critical
erosion list in 2002. Continued recovery resulted in further removals in the Panhandle and Southeast
Regions in 2003. However, following Tropical Storm Isidore in 2002, additional small segments of
critical erosion were added in the Panhandle and Gulf Regions in 2003.
The 2004 hurricane season was the most active storm season in Florida since weather records began in
1851. Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne, along with Tropical Storm Bonnie, damaged the
beach and dune system, upland structures and properties, and infrastructure in the majority of Florida’s
coastal counties. The cumulative impact of these storms exacerbated erosion conditions throughout the
state. The 2005 updated erosion listing added 68.6 km (42.6 mi; roughly a 13.2 percent increase) to the
statewide total of critically eroded beaches.
The 2005 hurricane season was also a record breaking season with 27 named storms. Florida was
impacted by Hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Ophelia, Rita, and Wilma, and Tropical Storms Arlene and
Tammy. The cumulative impact of these storms worsened erosion conditions on the beaches in southern
Florida and the Panhandle. The 2006 updated listing added 32.5 km (20.2 mi; roughly a 5.5 percent
increase) to the statewide total of critically eroded beaches.
A mild tropical storm season in 2006 led to few additions for the 2007 updated listing. There was a
relatively mild tropical storm season in 2007, with only Tropical Storms Andrea, Barry, and Noel
affecting Florida beaches. However, persistent northeasters caused increased erosion conditions at a few
spots along the Atlantic coast. As a result of these effects, small shoreline segments in some Southeast
and Northeast Region counties were added to the 2008 critical erosion update.
Florida’s beaches experienced a relatively mild tropical storm season in 2008 with Tropical Storm Fay
affecting mostly the Atlantic shoreline. The Gulf Coast received only the fringe impacts of Hurricanes
Gustav and Ike. Minor additions to critical erosion areas were made in Nassau and Palm Beach
Counties. Completion of studies in 2010 resulted in the addition of minor segments on the Atlantic
coast. The 2010 erosion list included 625.1 km (388.4 mi) of critically eroded beach, 13.8 km (8.6 mi)
of critically eroded inlet shoreline, 151.8 km (94.3 mi) of non-critically eroded beach, and 5.1 km (3.2
mi) of non-critically eroded inlet shoreline statewide. In addition, the 2010 update of the statewide
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beach erosion reported 795.8 km (494.5 mi) of a total 1,328 beach km (825 mi) as eroded, or 60 percent
of the beach. The 17 percent increase in erosion documented since 1992 was due in part to changes in
the inventory methodology. The greater cause of the increased erosion were the coastal storms that hit
Florida’s coasts between 1994 and 2005 (Wettstein 2011).
No changes in length of eroded beach in the 2011 or 2012 FDEP reports were made because of a quiet
tropical storm season for Florida’s beaches in 2010. In summary, from 1989 to 2011 the number of
miles of critically eroded beaches increased by 291 km (181 mi). The total length of non-critically
eroding beach decreased by 30.4 km (18.9 mi).
Florida Short and Long-term Shoreline Erosion Trends
Examination of Florida county shoreline trend reports show that Florida’s shoreline is very mobile and
large accretion and large erosion events can occur along the same sections of beach over time (FDEP
website, accessed 6-7-2013)
The average long-term change rate for the east coast of Florida is 0.2 ± 0.6 m/yr which is low when
compared to historical shoreline changes in the other Southeast Atlantic states. This fact is true
primarily because tidal and wave energy were low and beach nourishment projects were common where
erosion persisted. Even though long-term erosion rates were generally low (average is -0.5 m/yr), at
least 39 percent of the Atlantic shoreline experienced long-term erosion. The highest long-term rates of
erosion were observed at the southern end of Amelia Island on the edge of Nassau Sound. Relatively
high rates of erosion persisted along the northern end of Jupiter Island at Jupiter Inlet (Table 6-17).
Long-term and short-term trends and rates of shoreline change were similar, such as around Cape
Canaveral, where there was apparently little or no alteration of the sediment supply (Morton and Miller
2005).
Table 6-17. Long/Short-term Shoreline Trends for East Florida and other SE Atlantic States.
Long-term shoreline change trends, derived from
Number of Mean Shoreline Change
State
Transects
Rate (m/yr)
% Erosion
Florida
11,288
0.2 ± 0.6
39
Georgia
2,566
1.0 ± 2.7
35
South Carolina
4,921
-0.5 ± 1.3
51
North Carolina
8,849
-0.7 ± 1.3
70
linear regression rates using four
Erosion Rates (m/yr)
Max
Mean
% Accretion
-5.5 ± 5.9
-0.5
61
-9.4 ± 4.0
-1.5
65
-13.0 ± 18.8
-2.8
49
-7.6 ± 2.0
-1.4
30
shorelines.
Accretion Rates (m/yr)
Max
Mean
14.3 ± 16.3
0.6
13.9 ± 10.2
2.4
16.9 ± 21.2
1.8
10.7 ± 11.8
1.0
Short-term shoreline change trends, derived from end-point rates using two recent shorelines
Number of Mean Shoreline Change
Erosion Rates (m/yr)
Accretion Rates (m/yr)
State
Transects
Rate (m/yr)
% Erosion
Max
Mean
% Accretion
Max
Mean
Florida
11,547
0.7
29
-20.1
-0.7
71
80.4
1.2
Georgia
2,661
1.3
40
-23.9
-2.9
60
22.1
4.2
South Carolina
5,312
-0.6
39
-21.2
-4.1
61
38.8
1.8
North Carolina
9,661
0.0
59
-57.0
-1.8
41
69.7
2.5
Source: Morton and Miller 2005.
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The average long-term erosion rate for west Florida is low (-0.8 ± 0.9 m/yr) compared to shoreline
erosion in some other Gulf Coast states primarily because wave energy is low. Even though erosion
rates are generally low, more than 50 percent of the western shoreline is experiencing both long-term
and short-term erosion. The highest rates of erosion in west Florida are typically located near tidal
inlets. Long-term and short-term trends and rates of shoreline change are similar where there has been
little or no alteration of the sediment supply or littoral system (Dog Island, St. George Island, and St.
Joseph Peninsula). Conversely, trends and rates of change have shifted from long-term erosion to shortterm stability or accretion where beach nourishment is common (Longboat Key, Anna Maria Island,
Sand Key, Clearwater, Panama City Beach, and Perdido Key; Table 6-18). A shift from long-term
relative stability to short-term erosion also occurred on Santa Rosa Island and is probably a result of
beach erosion and overwash deposition associated with Hurricane Opal in October 1995 (Morton et al.
2004).
Table 6-18. Long/short-Term Shoreline Change Trends for Florida & Other Gulf States.
Long-term shoreline change trends, derived from linear regression rates using four shorelines.
Number of Mean Shoreline Change
Erosion Rates (m/yr)
Accretion Rates (m/yr)
State
Transects
Rate (m/yr)
% Erosion
Max
Mean
% Accretion
Max
Mean
Florida
10,644
-0.1 ± 0.1
58
-7.7 ± 3.4 -0.8 ± 0.9
42
7.6 ± 8.5 0.9 ± 1.2
Alabama
1,294
-0.4 ± 0.8
75
-2.8 ± 1.9 -0.8 ± 0.8
25
2.2 ± 0.5 0.5 ± 0.9
Mississippi
724
-2.3 ± 1.9
80
-13.5 ± 3.3 -3.1 ± 1.8
20
3.0 ± 3.1 1.0 ± 2.2
Louisiana
2,490
-7.1 ± 4.5
91
-36.8 ± 14.2 -8.2 ± 4.4
9
7.2 ± 12.0 2.5 ± 5.2
Texas
10,626
-0.7 ± 1.7
64
-9.2 ± 5.1 -1.8 ± 1.3
36
14.9 ± 18.6 1.2 ± 2.4
Short-term shoreline change trends, derived from end-point rates using two recent shorelines.
Number of Mean Shoreline Change
Erosion Rates (m/yr)
Accretion Rates (m/yr)
State
Transects
Rate (m/yr)
% Erosion
Max
Mean
% Accretion
Max
Mean
Florida
11,116
0.2
54
-21.3
-1.5
46
37.3
2.2
Alabama
1,466
0.3
42
-9.2
-1.5
58
10.4
1.5
Mississippi
968
-2.1
63
-46.4
-5.8
37
19.4
4.4
Louisiana
2,924
-10.1
88
-78.6
-12.0
12
19.1
3.9
Texas
10,912
-0.1
48
-25.1
-2.6
52
48.2
2.2
Source: Morton et al. 2004.
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