MAIN OFFICE

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

Phone 954.591.1219

Fax 954.653.2981

Click here to view project abstract.

The Port Everglades Entrance Channel is a complete barrier to littoral drift along the southern Broward County shoreline. Most sand transported to the inlet from the north is either deposited along the shoreline north of the rubble spoil shoal, lost to the inlet channel and/or transported offshore. The only means of transferring sand across the inlet is artificial sand bypassing. The sand bypassing project proposes to create a 7.1-acre sand trap to an elevation of -49 ft (NAVD88) on the north side of the Port Everglades Entrance Channel. The rubble spoil shoal is composed of mostly unconsolidated rock rubble that was deposited as side-cast material during the 1962 inlet dredging project.

Currently, the spoil shoal stretches more than 3,500 ft in a general east-west direction an d is attached to the beach- front shoreline approximately 780 ft. north of the north jetty. Complete removal of the landward portion of the rubble shoal is required for the Port Everglades Sand Bypass Project to remain feasible. Coastal Eco-Group serves as the environmental sub-consultant for the project, providing environmental permitting support and

assistance to the environmental permitting support and assistance to the engineering prime consultant, Olsen

Associates Inc. Coastal Eco-Group scientists provided oversight of core boring and coral relocation activities associated with geotechnical investigations completed in July 2007.

Working in conjunction with regulatory staff from FDEP and scientists with Broward County Environmental Protection Department and Nova Southeastern University Oceano-graphic Center, Coastal Eco-Group scientists have developed a mitigation plan for impacts to nearshore hardbottom resources using the State’s UMAM assessment. Proposed mitigation activities for direct impacts to rubble communities include expansion of the County’s stony coral nursery program (harvest and reattachment of detached “corals of opportunity”) and creation of new nursery habitat using limestone boulders. A monitoring plan for the assessment of secondary impacts to benthic resources within the turbidity mixing zone, including the listed species, Acropora cervicornis, is currently under development.

Coastal Eco-Group scientists have prepared the NEPA Environmental Assessmentand Biological Assessment to evaluate the potential impacts of the proposed project on endangered and threatened species and describe the avoidance, minimization and conservation measures pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. Preparation of the Environmental Assessment includes an Essential Fish Habitat assessment and evaluation of potential impacts to nesting sea turtles and juvenile green sea turtle foraging habitat within the project area.

Port Everglades Sand-Bypassing Project, Broward County, Florida Environmental Assessment

BRANCH OFFICE

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