Help! Bulldozing on Bay Right Now

[Bdarg]

Calling county code enforcement would be the one call for permit issues?they are the county agency to deal with checking to see if proper permits are in place. Part of the permit process is making sure all applicable agencies are aware of the permits and the allowable operations. Often it is just a matter of checking the file to see if permits for a particular site are in place. My guess is that the red flag yesterday was the cloud of silt going unchecked into the bay. Typically, in a permit it would spell out the use of turbidity barriers and other measures to protect the quality of the body of water.

While cleaning the shoreline of debris and trash is usually a good thing, doing so in such a manner as to stir up large amounts of unchecked silt is not a good thing. When silt is stirred up in the bay, it is to the aquatic animals and plants as a dust storm would be to us, that is, it makes it hard or impossible for the creatures to breath and in some cases can bury the plants and animals to a point that they cannot recover. This can upset the balance of the water body, cause prolonged degradation of the water quality, and thus affect the fish etc.; not that that has necessarily occurred in this case, but having code enforcement check on permits generally cannot hurt.

 

[30A Skunkape]

Kevin-I agree that cleaning up trash is a good thing. The way I noticed the whole clean up was going outside and noticing a strange milky flow of water in the otherwise clear bay. It didn't take long to see that the milky flow's source was work on the shoreline and it was the result of digging into the clay that constitutes the bank. I am no biologist nor an environmental alarmist, but I am all too familiar with what dredging and stirring up silt in an estuarial bay does to the ecosystem-Lake Ponchartrain was essentially dead for years due to dredging. As BDarg noted, it was largely due to increasing the water's turbidity and blocking light from reaching the critters at the bottom of the food chain that are powered by photosynthesis. OK, I know the whole bay wasn't going to be killed off by the activity, but I found it hard to believe there was zero effort to put out a floating containment system to trap sediment and lord knows what else was liberated from the bank. Luckily, things seem to be back to normal this morning. And FYI, the backhoe is sitting idle currently;perhaps something was being done improperly and work has been stopped until things are done correctly

 

[Smiling JOe]

I would like to point out that by the time the Code Enforcement came to the property, the trackhoe operator had been down most of the entire length of the development's bayfront property. He was at the eastern end by the time Code Enforcement arrived.

As Bdarg stated, Code Enforcement is the department in charge of checking permits, and they are the correct dept to contact if you suspect illegal behavior of such things as cleaning out the Bay with at trackhoe.

BTW, that Oak Tree was on a privately owned lot, not land owned by the HOA. I wonder if the owner of that lot is aware of the lost tree and lost land.

and since you asked, KevinC, the property to which you earlier referenced, was noted by Code Enforcement as not having proper permits for filling, and that is what began that post. If you want to point fingers on that one, you should begin with Code Enforcement.

 

[GoodWitch58]

Unfortunately the track record around here is that people do things without getting the proper permits or using the proper procedures...because the damage often can not be repaired, or if so, will take years to repair, I vote for caution on the part of the neighbors/citizens.

if someone has the proper permits and is doing the work properly, they should not mind demonstrating that.

If not, then I am happy that someone stops them before too much damage is done!

 

[Smiling JOe]

Are permits required to be posted on the property? I know building permits are required to be posted. If they are not required, it sure seems like an easy solution for people to see proper permits are in place, and might save some calls to Code Enforcement.

 

[GoodWitch58]

Good idea. Let;s email Cindy Meadows with the suggestion.

 

[DevFin]

All good comments. I didn't realize the extent of the work performed. I thought it was mainly cleaning up the tires etc. which I still think is a good thing.

And Smiling Joe, I was not trying to point a finger at you or I would have done so directly. I don't know the particulars of that incident other than what you initially alleged and the subsequent rebuttal of the owner, followed by complete silence.

No one has commented on the large scale dredging project right around the corner from here. I would venture that the environmental impact will be immense when compared to what just occured. Not saying it's right, just making an observation.

 

[Bdarg]

I for one am not certain which large-scale dredging project about which you are talking. The ones that I am aware of are permitted and seem to be maintaining the barriers and such. I know that the canals around the north end of CR 283 are being dredged, as well as the old causeway through Oyster Lake. Then of course the beach renourishment project in Destin. I imagine there are some more as well

 

[BeachSiO2]

All good comments. I didn't realize the extent of the work performed. I thought it was mainly cleaning up the tires etc. which I still think is a good thing.

And Smiling Joe, I was not trying to point a finger at you or I would have done so directly. I don't know the particulars of that incident other than what you initially alleged and the subsequent rebuttal of the owner, followed by complete silence.

No one has commented on the large scale dredging project right around the corner from here. I would venture that the environmental impact will be immense when compared to what just occured. Not saying it's right, just making an observation.

I am guessing you are talking about the 30-A project that is just know entering permitting. I can guarantee you that it will have its permits in place before work is started. By the way, turbidity monitoring is required in beach restoration projects and the levels allowed are very specific. They are checked with every load that is pumped onto the beach. If those levels are exceeded, the project is immediately stopped and the dredge must move to another area of the borrow site. To date, those levels have not been exceeded for the Walton/Destin project.

 

[Smiling JOe]

KevinC is referring to Little's Canal and Baker Canal being dredged in Daughettes. They are permitted, in dredging has begun. There is an owner at the mouth of one of the canals, who works for the DEP, who fought the dredging for a number of years. I will guess that he will be keeping a close eye on things.