New Inlet

[emeraldcoastdav]

I came up with about a half dozen cons and another half dozen pros.

Con:

? Would destroy the natural open/close cycle of the dune lakes. This in turn would destroy the saltwater/freshwater cycle and balance of life in the dune lakes. This in turn would cause invasive plants and animals to flourish while native flora and fauna would likely dwindle or die.
? Opening the lake full time to the gulf would likely cause the lake to fill in, so any recreational benefit would be only fleeting at best. If you have ever watched one of these lakes open up, you should have noticed the natural dredging that takes place as the lake drains. The 6-inch to 1-foot tides in this area would not promote a deep lake.
? Nature/God is far better at creating a well balance ecosystem than man is. Notice also that Nature/God did not include a speedboat in their plan.
? Most of the lake is not deep enough for power boats as it stands anyway. From canoeing the lakes the vast majority of the lakes are only a couple of feet deep.
? The cost to permit (if a permit would even be issued), build and constantly maintain any marina would be cost prohibitive, especially since the non-public land is already highly sought after real estate (and especially so when the real estate market is up and running).
? Of course the aforementioned lack of parking and already over crowded facilities.


Pro:
? It would be providing the much sought after rumblings of more power boats on the lakes.
? It would be adding the mosquito squelching sheen of 2-cycle motor oil to the otherwise somewhat pristine waters of the lakes. That is, at least until the lake filled in and dried up.
? The propellers might hack to death the pythons that were supposedly let loosing in a couple of the lakes.
? Dredging and maintenance would provide desperate politicians with a reason to raise local taxes.
? Would promote coastal erosion and provide more reason for coastal seawalls.
? Would provide engineers and lawyers with jobs for a couple of decades.

I have not even mentioned that opening the lakes would also provide the storm surge free access to the lakes, thus allowing greater access for the surge to the houses. The outlet in all likelihood if you consider the erodiblity of the soils and flat terrain along the lakes mean that the outlet would jump its manmade course during storm events and thus endangering more homes.

At a minimum it would be a lot of pubic tax, expense and headache just to get your jet ski across the sand and into the gulf. A beach permit, a trailer permit and a four wheel drive, (or better yet a friend with those) would be a much cheaper way to provide the blaring engine noise to ruin everyone?s quite and peaceful day at the beach.

Good Points!

 

[emeraldcoastdav]

thought of some more pros -- It would enable jet ski businesses and jet ski owners a way to legally access the Gulf. I guess some people looking to enjoy the quietness of the beach and their lake front homes would disagree and say that is a con.

pro- our taxes would only slightly increase in order to pay for the new bridges need on 30A and in the State Park, which would provide money for some families who work for the contractors.

Pro- if passed, the County Commissioners voting in favor would have their political pockets lined for a long time.

pro- boat sales would increase and we would likely have a boat store open in SoWal.

pro- the port-a-john business owners and their employees would rent a few more port-a-johns for the construction process.

pro- more culture would come to the area as Mexicans were hired for construction jobs for the project, and the Mexican's families back in Mexico, would benefit from the US dollars coming to them.

pro- Iraqis would sell a bit more oil, and the US oil and gasoline industry would have more revenues from the gas and oil sales.

pro- maybe we could get a jet-ski store in SoWal.

pro- Japanese jet ski manufacturers would increase their revenues, keeping it tax free from the US gov't.

I'm going to stop there for the moment.

Outstanding!

 

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

Question:
Can't anyone who obtains a permit, use Grayton Beach to launch their boat?

 

[emeraldcoastdav]

Question:
Can't anyone who obtains a permit, use Grayton Beach to launch their boat?

I think the local boys that use the beach to launch make it look easier then it is. It is not as user friendly as they make it look.

 

[Jdarg]

Was this thread started as a joke? Like a happy Turkey Day/ April Fool's?

 

[emeraldcoastdav]

Some Pros:

1. Less fuel used to access gulf.
2. Marinas could be located on North and South side of the bay.
3. Marinas are beautiful
4. Many acres of land on North and South side of bay would increase in value.
6. Business taxes could offset residential taxes.
7. Water based activities would increase locally.
8. Jettys create habitat

 

[emeraldcoastdav]

Was this thread started as a joke? Like a happy Turkey Day/ April Fool's?

No!
Just discussion

 

[emeraldcoastdav]

What better place to put a Marina then a state park, where everyone has access?
Then access pays for park improvements that all can enjoy.

 

[emeraldcoastdav]

Another Pro: The Dargs will go to the jetty often.
Each time their Children, Grandchildren, and Great Grandchildren come down from the North, they will want to use the activities provided, and inspired by this cut and jetty.

 

[Bdarg]

To the best of my knowledge jetties are used to protect commercially navigable outlets, i.e. fishing fleets, barge and ship traffic etc. Having lived on east and west coasts of Florida at some time and now in the panhandle and I cannot think of a single jetty that I have seen that did not protect an outlet to a river. There may be one but I have never seen one.

None of the coastal dune lakes has so much as a medium sized creek feeding them. They are largely dependent on groundwater flow for their freshwater component. In addition, a jet ski could not realistically be called a commercial vessel.