BRANCH OFFICE

513 US Highway 1  Suite 215 North Palm Beach, FL 33408

MAIN OFFICE

665 SE 10th Street, Suite 104
Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Phone 954.591.1219

Fax 954.653.2981

In some locations along the Sector 7 project area, accumulations of more than 20 cm in thickness were observed along the inshore edge of hardbottom during the 2006 pre-construction survey. The poor visibility conditions that were encountered during the summer and fall 2006 were mainly due to the suspension of this mud material in the nearshore waters in Sector 7. Moderate storms and heightened sea state continue to suspend this fine material, resulting in turbid nearshore waters for long periods in Indian River County.

Under contract to the coastal engineering firm, Applied Technology and Management Inc., Coastal Eco-Group scientists conducted a technical review of the permitted biological monitoring program in Indian River County to develop recommendations for revisions to the monitoring protocol which allow for data collection under persistently poor underwater visibility conditions. In close coordination with FDEP regulatory staff, Coastal Eco-Group scientists developed a county-wide biological monitoring program for the assessment of impacts to nearshore hardbottom from beach nourishment based upon a high level of communication and coordination with regulatory officials. The plan includes contingency monitoring methods to ensure that sufficient data is collected for the assessment of potential impacts related to beach nourishment activities.

This program has been successfully implemented during the pre-construction and immediate post-construction monitoring surveys for Sectors 1 and 2 nourishment project and Sector 7 beach restoration projects in 2006 and 2007. The nearshore hardbottom monitoring program includes independent technical oversight of the biological monitoring contractor by Coastal Eco-Group scientists to ensure compliance with permit requirements and independent QA-QC of the video transect monitoring data using PointCount’99. Coastal Eco-Group is responsible for coordination with State and Federal regulatory and resource protection agencies during the course of the annual monitoring surveys.

Coastal Eco-Group scientists also conduct video transect and biological data collection along the nearshore hardbottom edge in the Sector 7 project area to supplement the nearshore hardbottom edge mapping data under poor visibility conditions (often less than 1 ft.). This data provides the agencies with additional information on the benthic communities along the nearshore hardbottom edge to assist in the assessment of potential impacts related to the beach restoration project. These supplemental nearshore hardbottom edge investigations provided valuable documentation on the distribution and accumulation of mud deposited along the Indian River coastline during the 2004 hurricanes.

Indian River County Hardbottom Monitoring Program Development and Technical Oversight