Seawall enhancement approved for Phillippe Park seawall

A grant agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation supports the Philippe Park seawall enhancement project through the National Coastal Resilience Fund.

The grant provides funding of $130,000 from NRWF and NCRF with a matching contribution of $196,000 from the county. Total cost is $326,000.

The county’s match includes $144,000 in cash from an existing agreement with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, $9,000 in capital funding and $43,000 in in-kind services from Public Works.

The project’s focus is baseline water quality and wave energy monitoring, site assessment and preliminary design of about 2,850 linear feet of seawall enhancement/living shoreline options at Philippe Park.

Commissioner Karen Seel asked for information about the living shoreline. Kelli Levy, Public Works director, said the seawall enhancement would depend on an analysis of its condition. She said some areas were in need of repair; however, the seawall is nonexistent on the south end.

She said one of the options was to build mini T-groins to increase the sand and stop erosion. They would be built incorporating natural materials such as limestone or shells.

She said a small community seawall had been constructed in Ozona using the same principle.

“It’s really neat,” she said.