THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS MOTION.
This item supports the Board’s Value of “Encouraging investment in renewable energy, sustainable practices and environmental protection” and Goal 2: Proactively lead in the planning, design and construction of projects to support community resilience and climate adaptation by ensuring that publicly accessible beaches are sufficient in dimension (i.e. >75 feet in width) to provide storm protection, recreational opportunities, and sea turtle nesting habitat.
Motion A:
The Segment II Shore Protection Project is located along the central portion of the Broward County shoreline located between Hillsboro Inlet and Port Everglades along the Atlantic Ocean. The project not only supports tourism and the local economy, it also protects upland property and provides critical habitat to marine life. It is 4.9 miles in length and fronts the Town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, the City of Pompano Beach, and the City of Fort Lauderdale Beach. The project was constructed in 2016 and placed approximately 750,000 cubic yards of sand in addition to creating over 1.5 miles of additional dune habitat. The project also involves the construction of 6.8 acres of artificial reef as mitigation for predicted impacts to nearshore hardbottom. Post-construction monitoring is also being performed to assess project performance.
For Broward’s projects, the State has typically contributed up to 25% of the project costs. The Corps of Engineers (Federal) has historically provided for 55% of eligible project costs on a reimbursable basis. The remainder of project costs after the State and Federal contribution are split 67:33% between the County and local municipalities.
This Agreement provides $81,113 in State funds for the FDEP share of the costs for post-construction monitoring activities, and fulfills the share offered by the State.
Motion B:
Port Everglades Inlet and the associated Federal navigation project act as complete barriers to littoral drift along the southern Broward County shoreline. Most sand naturally transported to the inlet from the north is either 1) deposited along the shoreline north of the rubble spoil shoal located north of the inlet; 2) lost to the inlet channel; and/or 3) transported offshore. The effect of this is chronic shoreline erosion immediately south of the inlet (i.e., the Segment III shoreline).
The need for artificial sand bypassing at Port Everglades Inlet has been evaluated by numerous investigations completed by both the Corps of Engineers and Broward County during the last fifty years. Consistently, all of these investigations have recognized that the Port Everglades Inlet constitutes a complete barrier to littoral drift along the southern Broward County shorelines and artificial sand bypassing is the only method of physically transferring sand across the inlet.
The Port Everglades Sand Bypass Project proposes to create and modify inlet infrastructure on the north side of the inlet to provide sand collection and storage facilities sufficient to support the economical collection and transfer of beach compatible sand to the shoreline south of the inlet. The project includes construction of a sand trap on the north side of the inlet and the periodic transfer of sand across the inlet every two to four years. A portion of the rubble spoil shoal located about 800 feet north of the inlet will be removed to reduce sand accumulation along the north shoreline and make sand available in the sand trap for transfer to the beaches south of the inlet. All bypassed sand will be placed within the alongshore and cross-shore limits of the Broward County Shore Protection Segment III fill template. It is anticipated that the sand quantity to be bypassed across the inlet may vary from 100,000 to 225,000 cubic yards per event.
Implementation of sand bypassing at Port Everglades is a crucial part of the County’s long-term regional beach management goals. The County has received the Joint Coastal Permit for the Port Everglades Sand Bypass Project from the State Department of Environmental Protection. The Port Everglades Sand Bypass Project is currently in the final stages of permitting with the Federal resource agencies. Once consultation is completed with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the issuance of the Federal permit will occur. Once both permits are received, procurement of a contractor for the project can occur. Construction of the sand trap is currently estimated to commence mid-2020.
The Agreements also allocate the local share of the estimated project costs. The local share includes the County and municipalities (if applicable) and constitutes approximately 25% of the total costs. Receipt of the grant funds required the use of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) form agreement, which does not contain Broward County’s standard contract terms; FDEP rejected edits and contract modifications requested by the Office of the County Attorney. The agreements contain terms and requirements that must be satisfied by Broward County both to receive and keep the grant award money, including but not limited to procurement, reporting, and audit requirements.
The grants have been reviewed and approved by Grants Administration. The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the Agreements as to legal form.
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