COASTAL CONSTRUCTION CONTROL LINE 



The Beach and Shore Preservation Act (ch. 161 F.S.) addresses the problem 

 of construction along Florida's coasts. The act establishes a coastal con- 

 struction setback line 50 ft landward of the mean high water line. It also 

 provides for a coastal construction control line that supersedes the 50-ft 

 setback line when it is established based on field studies using engineering 

 and environmental criteria for the sandy beaches of each coastal county. 

 Coastal construction control lines are established on an individual county 

 basis to define beach areas where special structural design considerations are 

 required to insure protection of the beach and dune system, upland structures, 

 and adjacent property [ch. 161.053(1) F.S.]. 



After establishment of the coastal line, permits are required for any 

 excavation and construction seaward of the line and vehicles are prohibited on 

 dunes located seaward of the line. Permits may be granted if the State's 

 Department of Natural Resources determines that engineering and topographical 

 data indicate a permit is justified, or if the structure forms a part of a 

 pre-existing line of structures seaward of the line and the pre-existing 

 structures have not suffered unduly from erosion, or if the construction is a 

 pier or pipeline that will not cause erosion (Florida Department of Environ- 

 mental Regulation 1980). 



MAJOR CONFLICTS 



Several notable cases of multiple-use conflicts are apparent in Northwest 

 Florida. As the region has grown, major development has led to conflicts 

 among various interest groups ranging from those who would preserve the exist- 

 ing coastal environmental to those who would have urban development to the 

 maximum extent possible. 



Four major environmental conflicts in Northwest Florida over the past 

 quarter century are discussed in the following subsections. They are naviga- 

 tion in Apalachicola River and Bay, housing construction on barrier islands, 

 excessive erosion of beaches, and pollution of Escambia Bay. A brief summary 

 of potential conflicts from offshore oil exploration also is given. 



APALACHICOLA RIVER AND BAY 



Based upon volume flow, the Apalachicola River is Florida's largest 

 river. It forms near the northern boundary of Florida at the confluence of 

 the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and Spring Creek at the southwestern corner 

 of Georgia, and it flows 172 km (107 mi) to Apalachicola Bay. The Bay is a 

 relatively unpolluted shallow coastal estuary bounded by barrier islands. It 

 abounds in oysters and provides about 90% of the State's total oyster produc- 

 tion (Table 3). 



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